


Piper and Shadow take on the Commonwealth

by DragonbornLives2665



Series: Shadow's Adventures in Different Universes [1]
Category: Fallout 3, Fallout 4
Genre: Against Brotherhood... I miss Sarah Lyons!, Biochemist/Pharmacist Sole, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Full INT/Low CHR, Minutemen, Nate is Female Sole's twin, Nice Sole, Non-Lawyer Sole, Nuka-World DLC, One-Shots, Piper and Female Sole are adorable!, Quests, Shaun is Female Sole's nephew, Shy Sole, Sole Not Originally From Boston Area, Sole is a Child at Heart, Some Implied Smut in a Couple Parts, Super-Nerd Sole, Yes Lone Wanderer is here..., railroad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2018-11-20 20:57:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 25,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11343063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonbornLives2665/pseuds/DragonbornLives2665
Summary: Just a bunch of one-shots inspired by my playthrough. Piper is just so awesome. My Sole (Shadow) has 10 INT, but low CHR... her STR is decent, though. Randomness... May or may not add Brotherhood of Steel. I liked Sarah Lyons from Fallout 3 better... Minutemen will definitely be in here, as will the Railroad.





	1. Opposites Attract

Opposites Attract

Shadow is very different than Piper, that much is obvious instantly. Shadow Stryder is well known to be quiet, reserved, awkward, and a little brooding. However, she is also very intelligent, kind-hearted, observant, and passionate. The last being one of the vibrant similarities that connects her to her wasteland wife in ways no one else can understand. Piper is more of a firecracker, loud and pushy; willingly plowing through loads of bullshit to get to the truth. Usually giving her love one hell of a show as she does so. They both care for Nat, Shaun, and Dogmeat in the ‘mansion-house’ (as Nat calls it) that Shadow built for them in Sanctuary. Shadow and Piper may be different, but they go great together.


	2. Awkwardness

Awkwardness

(Piper POV)

I sit on my couch wondering if that oddly quiet yet interesting woman I met outside the gates earlier will actually come to see me. After I argued with McDonough and she added her thoughts softly, but unpressured, I noticed her observing as I talked with Nat. When I turned to her, though, she seemed to have disappeared, probably off to look at the stores or something. A quick, light triple-rap on my door disrupts my thoughts. The door opens before I can stand and my sister is leading someone inside. A dog squeezes in front of them and sits down by the end of the couch, eagerly waiting for its owner: the woman from earlier.  
“You didn’t need to knock. Piper’s expecting you.” Nat explains, somewhat sassily as the woman reluctantly follows her in.  
“…U-uhmmm… Oh…” The woman just barely an inch or two taller than me stutters awkwardly with an odd deeply-slurred accent.  
She is not drunk, that much is obvious, so I chalk it up to speech issues or an easy to hide injury.  
“Glad you dropped by. You holdin’ up, Blue?” I ask , gaining her attention as Nat slips back out the door.  
“…Bl-Blue?...” She asks curiously.  
“Well, you never told me your name. And you are clearly from a vault.” I tell her and she freezes up.  
“How’d yeh know dat?”  
Now the pale woman looks nervous and the skin visible on her face that is visible on her chin and cheeks gets even paler (if that is even possible). The rest of her is cloaked in a drifter’s outfit she must have scavenged as it is slightly big, a brown pilots hat, and welders goggles.  
“I know you’re not wearing the jumpsuit right now, but the pipboy and the fish outta water look: dead giveaways.”  
She calms down a little, still shifting around.  
“…Ummm… C-can I sit down…?” Her quiet voice asks. “I-I have spinal iss-ues… a-an’ I been walkin’… P’ease?...”  
“Oh, of course!" I motion to the couch space next to me. "I still didn't get your name."  
"...Sh-Shadow... An' yer Py-per, right?..." She seems more confident without her back causing more problems.  
"Shadow, huh?" I quirk an eyebrow. "Just Shadow?"  
Now she sighs and shyly tells me her full name.  
"Shadow... Stryder."  
"Ok, well, Shadow. I've got an idea for an article, but I need your help." I say and she leans forward a tiny bit, her interest caught; So I continue "Here's my deal. I want an interview. Your life story in print. I think it's time Diamond City had a little outside perspective on the Commonwealth. Do that and I'll... I'll watch your back. As you get used to life above ground."  
"...U-ummm.... Okay...." The woman mumbles and her dog pushes up against her, trying to get her attention. "I-I'm fine, bud... Go lay down..." She tells him and he sits right where he is.  
   
(Time Skip: We all know the "NICE" route through the interview... I don't feel like typing all that)

"Blue, if you don't have a place to stay tonight, you are free to use the couch." I offer and clean up my notes.  
"Y-yeh sure?" She asks, glancing at Nat who has come in for the night. "...That's okay?"  
I nod and she takes off her hat and goggles.  
"You must be really old if your hair is silver, lady." Nat says rudely and Shadow puts her hat back on.  
"...Hair's always been silver..." Blue mumbles, looking away. "...I'm onl' 20..."  
"With cryo you are 230, Blue." I point out.  
"Yeah, I guess..." She sighs. "How... How old are yeh, Py-per?"  
"22. Nat is 12."  
"22?" Shadow seems a little shocked before a shy smile and a tiny blush graces her cheeks. "... Yer teh pretty teh be older than I-I am... was?... Shit... I fucked et up..." She trails off before her head snaps up and she looks at Nat, scared. "Oh!... Oh, no... U-uh sorree..." She rambles. "I sh-should-ah minded m' language..."  
"It's okay, Blue." I say and she turns to me. "We don't care." I move closer and pull off Shadow's hat. "I, um... thought it was cute... Thanks."  
"Heh... reall'?..."  
"Yes."  
Blue smiles shyly and stares at me as I do the same right back.  
"BLEH!" Nat yells, going into her hideaway.  
The prewar relic turns away, blushing badly and gets out a tattered blanket from her pack.  
"Goodnight." I tell her and set her hat down and rush up to my loft, redfaced.  
"G'night." I hear Shadow faintly say back.  
   
(Later,Shadow POV)  
I lay on that couch, but sleep eludes me. Even with my pipboy playing softly near my ear. I'm sure glad my stash of holotapes survived the bombs. Codsworth was great at protecting them from the elements and scavvers. I glance over to where Dogmeat seems to be guarding me or maybe trying to comfort me. Either way he is on the floor next to me asleep, but he raises his head and looks at me as if he can feel me watching him.  
"'ey, bud..." I whisper and stroke his surprisingly soft ears.  
He whines when I stop, nudging my hand with his muzzle.  
"Oh, yeh big baby..." I chuckle quietly and pet him again, now on his belly and chest that he offers up. "Yer ah good doggy... Yes, yeh are Dogmeat..."  
   
(Piper)  
I hear Shadow cooing over her dog and smile.  
"...Bud, do yeh think... Py-per'll act'lly want teh travel wit' meh?..."  
'Dogmeat' barks extremely soft. Softer than I thought possible.  
"Yeah, but she's got Nat... an' 'er paper...I c-can' even speak wit' 'er befer gettin' all nervous..."  
I hear the dog yawn.  
".......She's pretty... an' nice an' doesn' seem teh care if other's hate 'er... I can tell yeh like 'er." 'Dogmeat' barks loudly and Shadows hurries to hush him. "Shut up!" She whispers harshly. “Yeh wann-ah wake 'em?!" The dog lets out a whimper. "Et's okay... I-I jus'... I dunno, bud... I jus' met 'er an' I alread' feel like I have ah c-crush... Ugh... I don' understand..." Another sigh. "This is why I used teh jus' observe... Isolate m'self an' observe... That way... I don' end up hurtin' an'one... or m'self... I-I let m' mum in. She basic'll' spat in m' face an' called meh ah quote 'bitchy-ass selfish freak'...... M' friends always left meh behind or turned on meh... School was ah livin' 'ell...... Y-years later I-I fine'ly got shit figured out an' I'm happy fer once... a-an' whut happens? BWOOSHH!... Nuclear Warheads... N-Nate is k-killed in front of meh... an'... an' Shaun... Why would they take m-m' nephew?... Et doesn' make sense... I-I-I need teh clear m' mind... Need teh t-take ah walk..."  
A couple minutes later I hear her and 'Dogmeat' exit the house and the curiosity gets the best of me. I sneak downstairs so I do not wake Nat. Shadow's pack is still there, but her blanket is folded on the pillow I lent her with a note on the couch. Picking up the note, I notice the handwriting is fairly large, but clear enough to read easily. Maybe she has poor eyesight?

(Note, Still Piper)  
Dear Piper,  
thank you again for letting Dogmeat and I sleep in your home. I tried to sleep, but memories and all the craziness that has occurred in the past days seems to have caught up with me. I need to clear my head. In case you wake up before we return, we have just gone for a walk around the marketplace a couple times. If we are not back after sunrise, then that will mean I probably fell asleep somewhere hidden or something happened. Either way I would appreciate if you would come find me, should I not return earlier. I am not leaving you behind, Piper. We'll be back.  
-Dr. Shadow D Stryder  
Ph.D of Pharmacy and Biochemistry

(Piper)  
"Doctor? She didn't mention she is a doctor." I mumble and head to my room/office with the note in hand. "Oh, well, she's not leaving without me. Means I should probably get some more rest."  
The thought of the odd woman not leaving me makes my heart flutter in ways I've never felt before.


	3. The Ugly Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was supposed to be posted after a chapter I have yet to finish off, so Piper and Shadow's relationship "status" may be a bit odd. I swear it will be explained in the (hopefully) next chapter. Unless I finish a different part first. These don't go in order time-wise.

The Ugly Truth

(Shadow)

  
Piper is right in front of me, ready to catch me, as I unsteadily climb out of the memory lounger.I claw at my armored clean blue suit, feeling constricted and choked with rage and overwhelming sadness. My glasses are tossed somewhere as my need to rub at the flood erupting from my eyes becomes too great. I don't honestly care where they landed.  
"...Sh-Shaun..." I sob into my wasteland lover's shoulder as she helps me remove my coat and tie and undo the topmost buttons of my dress shirt. "... H-he's... n-not ah baby... Has... m' t-twin brother a-an' I's s-silver hair..."  
"Here, these should be looser on her." I vaguely hear Dr. Amari say.  
Piper takes the offered clothes, but doesn't let go of me.  
"Thanks." She tells her sincerely.  
"I'll... I'll give you two some space. Nick and I will be upstairs." The doctor says and exits the room.  
My knees give out and I practically drag Piper to the floor.  
"Blue... Shadow..." She sighs, holding me tighter as her voice cracks. "Silver hair?...... He really was that boy with Kellogg... Oh, god... I-I knew something was off..."  
Eventually, I raise my head to see her. Darker greenish hazel eyes full of worry, concern, and empathy watch my own pale silvery-green. No words pass between us as she rests her forehead against mine so we share breath. Gumdrops, Nuka-Cola, and the faint smell of cigarettes fills my nostrils and seems to ground my thoughts back to reality.  
"...Py-per...?" I ask shakily, closing my eyes. "Do... D-do yeh think... I can r-rescue Shaun...?"  
"Hey." She says gently to get me to look at her. "We will get him back where he belongs, with the next of his family: his aunt. Nothing will stop us."  
"W-we?"  
"Yes, we. O-or have you already forgotten your promise?" Her voice cracks again and I feel the cool metal of the ring I made her on my cheek. "Not getting rid of me that easily, Shadow."  
I chuckle weakly at the joke and nuzzle back into the crook of her neck for another reassuring embrace before pulling away.  
"L-let's go talk wit' Dr. Amari an' N-Nick..." I mumble, standing up.  
Piper takes the hand I offer her and refuses to let go once she is up. Not like I'd want it differently... Hand in hand we go over the details of the memories. It takes almost all my strength plus what Piper readily gives to not break down again. Somehow we make it through and after readying myself to face the Commonwealth once more, my determination to find my nephew burns even brighter than before. The Institute will pay. Pay for Shaun. Pay for Nate. They will pay. And this Virgil is my key to getting in.


	4. "Auntie" Piper and Synth Shaun Meets Nat (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if anyone who has read the other one-shots before I made some changes... Here are the changes I made:  
> -> Shadow and Nate were siblings  
> -> The above being said, Shaun is Shadow's nephew  
> -> Shadow is a hermaphrodite (has both male and female genetalia)

"Auntie" Piper and Synth Shaun Meets Nat (Part 1)

(Piper)  
"Your nephew looks so much like you." I state as Shadow carries the sleeping synth boy to a bed in our big house in Sanctuary. "Why? He is your brother's boy."  
"... Nate and I were twins, Py-per... Identical twins..." Shadow explains, tucking him in under the covers and I place a teddy bear in his arms. "I-I was older by ah minute..."  
"Did he have the, um..." I trail off gesturing to her chest and lower half. "L-like you?"  
"...No... Onl' meh... He was full male......Y-yeh know... I never imagined havin' kids o-of m' own... Yeah, I get 'long great wit' 'em, b-but teh be responsible fer 'em?... 'ell no..."  
"Hey, you're fine. Everything is going to be fine." I comfort, pulling her towards our room. "Y-you never imagined yourself having kids?"  
She lays down on our bed, gently tugging me down with her.  
"...Yes... I-I... I mean... no...n-no woman would willin'ly be wit' meh like that... not wit' h-how I'm ah freak ah nature... N-not ah woman, b-b-but not ah man either..."  
"Blue."I say firmly and get her to look at me. "I... I'm a woman." Eyes lock on mine. "I'd be with you like that. I've said it before and I will say it again: you are my everything, Shadow."  
"Py-per..." My love gasps, burying her face into my t-shirts collar. "Oh, god... I l-love yeh so much right now..."  
I grab her left hand with my left hand and purposely clink our rings together.  
"I love you, too, Blue."

(Next Morning, Shadow)  
"Miss Piper?" I hear Shaun trying to get my fiancé's attention as she types away on the terminal I built her here in Sanctuary.  
"...Shaun." I say to him as I pass. "She's busy right now... Why don't yeh come take ah walk wit' meh...?"  
"Okay, Aunt Shadow!" He says happily and Piper smiles lovingly at me for a brief moment before returning to her work.

(Outside)  
"...Why don' yeh call 'er 'Aunt' Piper?" I ask my nephew, curious as to why he continually calls my lover 'Miss Piper'.  
I pass him a Nuka-Cola and add some whiskey and a tiny bit of rum to my own Nuka-Cherry. Curie shakes her head disapprovingly from her spot lounging in the clinic, waiting for someone to need her medical expertise. It takes all of me to not burst out laughing at the robot-turned-synth's facial expression (something she is still struggling with).  
"Well, I do not actually know why..." Shaun pieces his thoughts together, drawing me back to our conversation. "She is really nice and all that..."  
"...Et be-cauz we aren' married...?" I venture and he thinks as we sip our beverages.  
"Maybe." He shrugs. "I could call her that if you really want me to, Aunt Shadow..."  
"N-no. I want yeh teh be comfortable sayin' that..." I tell him with a headshake. "...... Did she tell yeh 'bout 'er younger sis? Nat'lie Wright?"  
"A little. What is she like?"  
"Hmmm... Imagine this:..." I hold my hands up dramatically. "Ah Py-per onl' ah couple years older than yeh..." He nods, faced scrunched cutely as he imagines, setting his pop aside. "Dressed similarly, but wit' some goggles 'round 'er neck an' no hat... Standin' on ah soapbox sellin' papers..."  
"Talking about Nat?" Piper's sweet voice reaches us and I flop on my back to look up at her, Shaun copying me in a fit of giggles. "Hey you two."  
"Hi." I say back and tug on the hem of her coat until she sits down. "...Done wit' the article?"  
"Mhmm..." She hums, leaning down for a light kiss.  
"Love yeh..." I whisper when she pulls away.  
"I think we should take Shaun to meet Nat. I-I mean she will be part of his family. Through us... Yeah, I'm rambling..." Her shy smile is adorable.  
"I'd like that." Shaun speaks up and I tickle him. "Aunt... Aunt Shadow!"

To be continued...


	5. 'Auntie' Piper and Synth Shaun Meets Nat (Part 2)

"Auntie" Piper and Synth Shaun Meets Nat (Part 2)

(Days Later: On the Road to DC, Shadow)  
"Shaun, stay where you are!!" Piper yells, distracting the super mutant getting too close to where my nephew is hiding.  
At first the path through the city ruins seemed quiet. That all changed in a matter of minutes as a horde of muties tried to ambush us.  
"Leave m' fam'ly 'lone, yeh bitch!" I growl out as I snipe a suicider coming up behind Piper.  
Shaun watches both Piper and I in awe.  
"AUNT SHADOW!" He suddenly shrieks and I push my sniper out of my hands to grab for my shotgun.  
I am just barely late as I roll over to face the ugly mutie lucky enough to have found my spot. Pain explodes in my right shoulder as the monster's bladed board cuts one of the few weak points in the ballistic weave of my blue suit. I scream out as I fire my shotgun with my off-hand, managing to hit the hostile, the spatter knocking it away a small bit.  
"Blue!!" I hear Piper yell and her 10mm sounds off more rapidly and closer each time.  
"Gonna eat you all!" The green beast in front of me roars and I somehow manage to dodge his swings, eventually catching the blade of its weapon against my gun.  
"NO!" I roar back as I struggle to hold it off, my arms already beginning to shake and my wound bleeding profusely.  
A gunblast knocks the mutant off balance and off me a little in the process. Shaun stands there with the pipe pistol I gave him for 'emergencies'.  
"Little human want to die first?!" The mutant taunts as it gets to its feet and leaves me behind, its new target Shaun.  
"...No..." I gasp as my vision begins to swim.  
A stimpack lays near me and I attempt to drag myself over to it. Everything sounds so distant as all my senses get fuzzy. In a last ditch effort, I jam the stimapck into my upper arm, but I have lost too much blood. My body just wants to rest. Unfortunately, I have little choice in the matter as my world goes dark.

(Piper)  
"Little human want to die first?!" I hear the mutant yell as I fire at it, trying to get it away from Shaun.  
"Hell no!" I shout in response as its legs give out.  
It is actually my 'nephew' who gets the last shot, but there is no time for me to admire his aim as I run over to Shadow's motionless body.  
"A-Aunt Shadow!" The boy nearly screams, tears streaming down his face, desperately checking for her breathing. "She's breathing..."  
I remove the empty stimpack stuck in Blue's arm and see the muscle and skin struggling to rebuild over the large opening.  
"No, no, no, no!" I repeat over and over as I rush to get two more stimpacks and a sewing kit from my sidepouch. "I-I can't lose you, Shadow!"  
Shaun watches as I put the new stimpacks in better spots then my lover had managed. The regenerative powers still not able to bridge the gap as I feared would happen.  
"I need you to hold her arm together." I instruct and he quickly does as I say. "I'm going to sew it closed."  
The end result is haphazard stitching that should hold until the stimpacks finish or we make it to Diamond City, hopefully the latter so she can be taken to Dr. Sun as soon as possile. After wrapping the stitching in an old shirt for added protection, Shaun and I gather our things. I feel bad for making the boy lug Blue's beloved sniper and shotgun, but I have to carry my fiancé and she may look light(-ish). She is not 'heavy' at all, but she isn't light either.  
"We need to hurry to Diamond City, Aunt Piper!" Shaun yells as he tries to go faster than me.  
The fact that he called me 'aunt' causes me to stop. I very quickly remember why we are in such a rush when Shadow groans unconsciously in pain.  
"Don't get too far ahead of me, Shaun!" I call to my nephew and pick up the pace.


	6. Protective Nat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the relationship part I meant to post earlier. The beginning part is actually inspired by the glitch where Nat starts following you and Piper (Piper more exactly, but I really only take Piper as my companion). Here, just... yeah...

(Just outside Diamond City, Shadow)  
"...'ey Py-per..." I whisper into my girlfriend's ear, voice low enough that the younger Wright cannot overhear. "Nat's tailin' us..." She goes to turn her head, but I stop her discreetly with a kiss to which Nat makes a throw up gesture. "No... She thinks she's bein' sneaky."  
"Blue." Piper whispers sternly with a small glare when we part. "It's not safe for her."  
We stare into each other eyes for a moment or two just silently communicating with our expressions.  
"...Fine..." I sigh as I give in and my love smirks, but I look over her shoulder at her sister, not acknowledging her little victory. "Not ver' good at stalkin', Nat..." I tease.  
The girl looks genuinely shocked that I called her out. She quickly puts her stoic act back up and glares darkly at me, objecting to me holding her sister so intimately close.  
"Nat, why are you outside the Wall?" Piper asks, turning around in my arms to face her sister. "It's not safe for you to be out here!"  
"It is not safe for you and the old lady to be out here either!" Nat strikes back and I wince, not from being called an old lady (which technically I am at 230 years old...), but from the truth of the statement. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!"  
I try to pull away, however Piper holds my arms about her waist and I cannot get out.  
"Py-per..." I whine. "N-Nat's mad..."  
"Nat, you are not the boss of Shadow." My girlfriend casually tells her sister instead of me. "I like it when she holds me close."  
I bury my face in her hair to hide my bright red face.  
"B-but she is dangerous! You'll get hurt!!" The younger Wright spits angrily.  
"I-I'd never hurt yer sister! I l-love 'er!" I attempt to defend myself.  
"I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!!!" The girl practically rages and shoves between Piper and I to get me away. "YOU ARE NOTHING, BUT TROUBLE! PIPER ISN'T SAFE AROUND YOU! NO ONE IS!!" I lower my head as it sinks in, tears threatening to fall from hearing the truth yet again.  
Piper cuts her sister's rant short after seeing my face.  
"NATALIE WRIGHT!" She yells and moves past her sibling to hug me, but I stiffen up and she stops a little bit away from where I stand. "Blue?"  
"...Sh-sh-she's... r-right..." I mumble. "I can' keep yeh safe, Py-per..."  
"Blue." She says soothingly, leaning down to see my eyes as I look at the ground. "The whole world's unsafe..."  
"...D-don'..." I sob. "...Go... t-take Nat home... I'll see... if Codsworth..."  
"No." The reporter says stubbornly. " I'm going with you!"  
I shake my head sadly as I cup her cheek and cheer up a tiny bit when she leans into my touch. Until I remember Nat is there that is.  
"Py-per... I-I love yeh. Take care of Nat..." She tries to grab my hand when I pull it away, however I am looking to the girl who caused this all. "...Don' let 'er get in-teh teh much trouble..."  
Nat continues to burn holes in my back as I turn away from both of them, passing Diamond City guards who have politely pretended to not notice the three of us and gave us space.  
"...I'll be back in ah... couple days..." I call over my shoulder shakily, almost breaking down again as I hear Piper starting to cry.  
"Shadow!" She shouts back, trying to get me to stop.  
I don't and the tears flow freely down my face at how broken my love sounds.

(A weak later, Piper)  
I haven't left my bed since Nat and I got home that day. Shadow's Vault 111 jumpsuit clutched to my chest as I cry. It still smells faintly of her even though she hasn't worn it in more than 4 months. She hates the attention and stares and comments she gets with it on, so we store it in my dresser.  
"Piper." Nat's voice reaches me and I see her near my bedside with a bowl of Power Noodles and a Nuka-Cola on a tray. "You need to eat."  
I take the tray, shifting so that I am sitting against the wall.  
"I... made a mistake." My sister sighs, looking at me sadly. "She really means that much to you?"  
"Yes."  
".........I.... It's just you are my sister. Sister trumps lover."  
"Girlfriend." I interject quietly.  
"Sister trumps girlfriend." Nat corrects.  
Then it hits me, the reason Nat has gone so far in pushing Shadow away, always seeming to be trying to make her extremely uncomfortable. Not only does she worry for my safety, but she is jealous.  
"Nat, a-are you afraid Shadow is stealing me away from you?" I ask hesitantly to confirm my thoughts.  
She nods shyly and I set the tray aside, pulling her to sit next to me on the bed.  
"C'mere." I instruct when she weakly pulls the other way. "You and Blue are both important to me. You as my sister and Shadow as my girlfriend."  
"But, I..."  
"I wasn't done. If you want us, or even just me, to hang around here more, all you have to do is ask. We'd gladly take some time off and stay in town."  
Silence falls over us and I break it.  
"You and Blue are actually quite similar, you know that?"  
"We are?"  
"Mhmmm..." I hum. "You are both very smart and kind and caring and protective."  
"Protective?"  
"Yes, did I tell you about the time she tackled a Yao Guai with nothing, but her knife?"  
Nat's eyes widen as she takes it in, shaking her head in the negative.  
"It took advantage of the fact I was focused on one of its cubs and pinned me down. Shadow roared like a beast and charged at it, throwing all her weight at it to knock it off me. She managed to get it completely off me doing that."  
"Did she kill it?!"  
"Of course." I end the story there before it gets to gruesome for my 12 year old audience.  
"I'm sorry!" She cries, holding me tight. "Every time you go out I fear that you'll die or something!... a-and I won't see you again!"  
"Oh, Natalie." I gasp and hug her back just as tight. "Nothing could stop me from coming home."  
"Death could stop you!" She sobs into my shoulder.  
"Well, then you know I'd give my attackers one hell of a fight. I'd go down fighting to get home to you. I'd never give up."  
"...Uh...oh..." A third voice mumbles from the top of the stairs and we see Shadow standing there.  
Her outfit is in tatters and her armor is dented all over. One dent appears to have a bullet lodged in it. Bruises and cuts cover her exposed arms and I start to panic. However, it is Nat who gets up first. She jumps from my bed and hugs my girlfriend tight.  
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" My sister tells her.  
"...Nat..." Blue hisses in pain and I rush over as Nat lets go.  
We guide her to the bed and I don't even allow her to assist Nat and I in removing her armor.  
"I'll get some water and a cloth!" Nat says and runs downstairs, leaving me to undress my love in private.  
"What happened?" I ask Shadow worriedly, scanning over her now exposed body.  
"Damn raider threw ah frag..." She explains. "...Was far 'nough away that et wasn' the blast that got meh, but shrap'nel... Codsworth got 'em out and cauterized the two bigger wounds... The stimpacks weren't workin' fast 'nough..."  
I see the freshly sealed cuts on her right shoulder and side and wince.  
"Oh my god." I gasp, kissing her. "Codsworth is a Mr. Handy, not a Mr. Gutsy! You shoulda taken me!!"  
"'Cauze Nat was r-right! Yeh see m' state!... This couldah been yeh! I-I... That... w-would kill meh..."  
"Blue..." I cry into her shoulder, avoiding the major cut there. "Don't ever leave me behind again."  
She wraps an arm around me and stays quiet with her face in my hair.

(Nat)  
I listen from the top of the stairs, just before the corner.  
"She's not gonna go away." I whisper to myself. "Her gone hurt Piper badly..."  
I peer around the corner as Shadow asks my sister to get something from a pocket on her backpack.  
"Oh, Blue." Piper gasps as she pulls out a shiny silvery ring with engravings in it that I cannot make out from where I am. "It's beautiful... A-are you... asking me...?"  
The prewar woman's face turns red as a ripe tato as she sputters.  
"N-n-no!...... Un-Unless yeh.... yeh know... uhm, want et t-teh mean that..." Piper lays her hand with the ring on now on her girlfriend's leg and she gets to the point. "Et's s'posed teh b-be ah promise teh keep yeh... safe a-an' that I'll always come back teh yeh......E-either way I made Nat one teh... As ah... promise teh bring y-yeh home ever' time..." She looks at me as I finally round the corner, stopping in front of them. "...N-Nat... Will yeh accept et?..."  
Piper hands a smaller ring that she gets out of Shadow's bag to me. 'PROMISE' is engraved on it.  
"Yes." I tell her with a small smile. "Did you make them?" I ask eyeing the intricate designs on my sister's ring and catch the woman's shy nod. "Wow..."  
"Shadow." My sister, who has been relatively quiet, gains bother our attention. "I... I want it to mean that. I can't picture my life without you."  
"Y-yer sure? Y-y-yeh wanna marry..." Shadow points to herself weakly, disbelieving. "meh?..."  
"There's nothing I want more, you dork." Piper jokes, kissing her and I turn away. "Think of it: Me, the General's wife. People may actually start to listen to me."  
"I thought yeh loved meh!" Shadow fake-sobs dramatically, but cannot stop laughing.  
"I'll go see if Nick or Ellie need help!" I announce, wanting to get out of there before things got too mushy and disgusting. "Grownups are weird!"  
"Thanks!" My sister yells back as I rush down the stairs and Shadow is laughing so hard she has started snorting and that makes her and Piper laugh harder.  
"Maybe they are good for each other..." I think out loud as I exit the house. "Maybe..."


	7. Restless Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a real short one. I was inspired when I kinda, um, kicked a wall while i squirmed in my sleep one night. It hurt...

(Piper)

"Wah!" I yell, woken up to find myself being pushed off the bed as Shadow squirms in her sleep and I land on the old wooden floor loudly.  
"...Py-per...?" My girlfriend asks groggily as she looks over the edge of the bed at me. "...N-not again... I'm so sorry!"  
"Shadow." I sigh, too tired to call her Blue. "It's fine."  
"N-no! Et's not!" She insists. "I keep pushin' yeh outtah our bed! I-if onl' m' back would l-let meh comfort'bly stay in one spot all night... Instead e-et hurts..."  
"Hey, hey, look at me." I get her attention. "You warned me about this kind of thing happening before we started sharing a bed, Shadow. I understood what that would mean."  
"B-but..." Her protest is cut off by Nat.  
"Will you two just go back to sleep already?!"  
I roll my eyes and get under the blanket with a blushing Shadow and lay my head on her shoulder.  
"...I-I love yeh..." She mumbles, pressing a kiss to my hair. "...Stubborn as yeh are..."  
I chuckle and lean up to press my lips to my prewar relic's as she draws me closer.  
"I love you, too." I respond and settle back into the crook of her neck again. "My woman out of time..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warned you it was an extra short one! Bye!


	8. The New Overboss (Part 1 of 3): The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly see the Pack's leader, Mason, as a chick-magnet that most likely every girl (and maybe some guys), regardless of gang, would want to sleep with at least once. That made me think of this funny little scene due to the fact that Piper and Shadow are together and, it may just be my opinion, but Piper is hot.

(Shadow)  
Piper and I enter the colorfully painted gate to the most vibrant part of the park yet. And that is saying something since it is Nuka-World after all.  
"Blue, oh god!" My wife gasps, whispering to me so the gang members don't hear and points to a cage of people. "They're collared, too..."  
I clench my jaw as I try to act tough and ignore the desperate looking slaves. The only way I will be able to bring about any type of reformation to these gangs, I'll have to earn their respect. Even if that means Piper and I have to go against our moral compasses for a while. When Gage first explained this new position I've been thrust into and Piper joked that this isn't the first time I've been 'volunteered' for a leadership role, we secretly made a plan (obviously not letting the raider in the room in on it, though I think he guessed by how we reacted as to what we decided). That plan? Try to get the gangs to cooperate and work together as best we can, but if things don't work out... Take down the ringleaders and protect the traders turned slaves as the groups crumble without guidance. Then we would rebuild from there.  
"...Pack seems ah 'propriate name fer 'em..." I mumble, holding Piper's arm almost possessively as the raiders we pass look at her with intentions and ideas clear in the their eyes.  
One rough looking man is stupidly brave enough to reach out for my wife despite my subtle claim that she is mine. After quickly putting myself between them, I draw my serrated electrified sword and press the point against his throat and growl with teeth barred in an animalistic snarl at him.  
"Back. OFF!" I threaten him, pissed off at his brazenness and glaring until he stumbles away defeatedly to watch a molerat and what appears to be a gorilla fighting to the death in a cage.  
"So the new Overboss does have a backbone!" A muscular man wearing bright facepaint and a sort of bone necklace laughs as we finally approach where he stands. "Who is this beauty you are so bent on protecting, boss?"  
I growl and am about to lunge at him, but Piper lays a calming hand on my arm.  
"Yeh first, asswipe." I ground out.  
"Mason." He answers shortly, meeting my challenging glare. "Leader of the Pack." He starts making a show of his muscles for Piper and both my wife and I want to laugh at his inflated ego. "Now... Who's the babe?"  
"My wife." I tell him smugly and watch his expression drop before he surprisingly quickly recomposes himself. "Yeh got no chance wit' 'er... or wit' meh fer that matter."  
"Seriously!? C'mon, don't lie to me hot stuff!" The hulk turns to Piper, still flexing and I notice several raiders (of both genders) in awe at his overly fit form.  
"Sorry, I'm gay." Piper chuckles and I smirk as she shows off the ring I made her.  
"Prove it!!" The gang leader roars, clearly not liking being denied.  
"Gladly." I say with unexpected (even to me) courage and grab my wife's hand to pull her to me, dipping her dramatically as we kiss.  
"Damn." The self-absorbed asshole named Mason huffs before trying yet again. "Well, babe, if you ever change your mind... You know where to find me." He flexes once more, but stops when Piper rolls her eyes.  
"Never gonna happen." She tells him calmly similarly to how she answers Cait's propositions for a threesome. "Blue, let's go meet the other gangs." She pulls on my sleeve as she turns away, unintentionally drawing the gang leader's attention to her ass. "He obviously doesn't care enough to talk business with us."  
I glare at Mason as I reply, happy to be getting out of this pathetic circus.  
"Sure, babe."  
We hear him protest angrily for a minute or two, but we don't turn back. I can tell without even looking behind me that he is staring at Piper's backside. In a bold move, I slide my arm around my wife and hold her butt as we walk. Both to reinforce my point that she is mine and he has no chance ever and also to block his view.  
"Sh-Shadow?" Piper squeaks quietly, feeling my hand.  
"Sh..." I stop her until we are out of the gate and in a secluded spot. "I-I... don' like 'im... H-how he kept tryin' after we m-made et clear... a-an' he was starin' at yer ass a-as we walked away..." I blush darkly in embarrassment as I explain.  
"Blue." She cuts off my rambling with a deep kiss. "It was kinda hot."  
"...E-et was?" I ask, genuinely curious.  
"Y-yes." She stutters and blushes, now the embarrassed one of us two.


	9. Georgie

* * *

Georgie

(Shadow)  
"Hi Aunt Shadow!" I hear Shaun shout as I pass where he and Nat are playing with the other kids of Sanctuary.  
Nat, the oldest, carries the youngest of the group: a little tan skinned infant just past his first birthday named Georgie.  
"'Ey, Shaun!" I call back as Piper walks up to me. "Nat, be careful wit' Georgie!"  
"Hi, doll." My love smiles, taking my hand in hers. "What's going on today?"  
"Hmm... Nuthin'..." I tell her with a smile of my own, but then something over her shoulder catches my attention. "Py-per."  
The change in my tone stops her and she looks worried.  
"Blue? What's wrong?"  
"...C'mon..."  
I guide her, not wanting to alert whatever I saw, to a hidden spot where I can still see out of town.  
"Shadow, what did you see?" My fiancé asks again and watches as I unsling the sniper rifle I always carry to look through the scope confirming what I thought I saw. Raiders.  
"Oh, god no..." I mumble, counting around 30 of them. "Py-per."  
I hand her the rifle so she can see.  
"Thats more than we even have in the settlement!" She gasps. "We don't stand a chance."

"...I know, but we have teh protect the settlers..."  
We stare at each other for a moment of thinking.  
"Babe... I-I have ah plan... Et may jus' get us through this... Et's the best I got..." I say quietly and she leans forward. "I need yeh teh make yer way teh the sirens. Get 'em goin' so people can hide. Alert any guards yeh pass..."  
She nods.  
"Where will you be?" Concern is heavy in her voice.  
I pat my sniper and grin a little at her.  
"Firin' the first shot."  
"Ok. Be safe, Blue." She says and pulls me into a kiss. "I love you."  
"Love yeh, teh..." I sigh, hugging her tightly before pulling away so she can get out of the little shed we hid in. "...Need teh give 'er time teh get teh the first siren."  
In the couple minutes I wait, I check my ammo clip several times and continue to watch the raiders, trying not to freak out over the battle to come.  
"Here goes..." I mumble and set my crosshair on a bulky raider in leathers.  
He goes down easily and the other raiders are shocked for a second before they catch on when two more fall. I struggle to keep up with them as they charge the unfinished section of the wall we are building around Sanctuary. Luckily my friends and settlers have noticed that the ones that get passed my sniper fire are pretty much funneled straight to them through the gap. Making this a little bit easier because the raiders seem to lack the common sense to realize their buddies are being mowed down by the hail of bullets, lasers, and melee weapons. I can only hope that Shaun and Nat did as Piper and I've taught and taken the other children and non-combat ready settlers into hiding.

(Piper)  
A guard named Sierra stops me as I walk to the first siren. Everyone in the settlement adores her little boy, Georgie. Shadow loves him even though he reminds her so much of what she lost of being a 'mother' prescence for a baby Shaun after her sister-in-law, Nora, passed during childbirth. I won't lie, he is adorable and how he is just so comfortable with anyone is amazing.  
"Miss Piper, whats wrong?" The woman finally medically cleared a couple months ago by Curie asks, noticing my expression.  
"Sierra, I told you to call me Piper. We're friends." I tell her before leaning closer. "Raiders, just southeast of town. Lots of them."  
"Are you sure?!" She squeaks and I nod gravely. "I have to get the others! Where is Georgie!?"  
"Yes. I'm gonna turn on the sirens." I see her fear. "Nat and Shaun know what to do. They'll keep Georgie safe. Shadow's been teaching them to shoot just in case." I assure her.  
"You're right... He'll be fine with them... we should get ready." She nods and heads away, letting me continue on my path to the siren situated on top of one of the still standing prewar houses.  
"Whatever religious figure may be listening... yes, Atom, too I guess... Please let us survive this." I whisper and flip the switch.

(Timeskip)  
I find Curie and Shadow frantically trying to administer first aid to someone. The person's body is so mangled that I cannot tell who it could be until I get closer.  
"Sierra!" I gasp and kneel next to them, opposite where my friends are working.  
"Miss... Piper..." The wounded woman manages to say with her labored breathing as my fiancé and Curie are attempting to remove the bullets and stop the bleeding.  
"C-Curie!" Shadow yells at the robot-synth as Curie pulls her hands away.  
"There is too much blood lost. We can not save her."  
That fact, clearly seen by the puddle of blood we kneel in and the red staining all our clothes is made even more obvious as Sierra breathing begins to slow down dangerously.  
"N-NO!!!" My lover nearly screams, putting pressure on the most severe area of the wound. "NO! W-WE CAN SAVE HER!!"  
"Sha...dow..." Sierra uses most of the last of her strength to speak. "Take... take... care... o-of... Geor... gie..."  
"No, no, NO, NOOOO!!!" Shadow now actually screams and I grab her blood covered hands, moving to be next to her. "PY-PER LET M' HANDS GO! N-noooo..."  
"No... Gen... ral... K-keep... Geor... gie...... s-safe..."  
The light leaves her brown eyes and Shadow loses it in tears, moving even more to try and wrench her hands from my grip. Suddenly though, Shadow gets extremely quiet and calmly slips her hands from mine to stand and take the tattered blanket one of her Minutemen holds out to her. When she turns to lay it over our fallen friend, I notice her blank expression. Her eyes are so closed off and cold. Much like how they were when I first met her and I worry. I've known how horribly this whole new environment, that is still what she remembers in a way, has affected my best friend turned lover, but I think this may have completely derailed the progress we have made.  
"...Georgie... will be... loved..." I hear her mumble. "I-I will... tell 'im of... yeh, Sierra..."  
I scramble after her as she walks to the tool shed to grab a shovel. The walk to our little cemetery by the creek is quiet. We turn to the part not filled by raider's stupid enough to attack the settlement and instead go to the nicer section where everyone from Vault 111 and some unfortunate casualties are buried within view of the small waterway and town.  
Knowing from before that Shadow shuts down like this and will talk when she is ready, I remain quiet, but make sure she can tell that I am not going anywhere and am going to be here for her as we mark out Sierra's grave in the dirt. Preston and the others can deal with the raiders.  
"Do you want help?" I ask gently, resting my hand on her tense shoulder so she stops digging to look at me.  
Tear tracks shine on her cheeks and her eyes are red, but she smiles a tiny little sheepish smile at me and I pull her into a kiss.  
"I'll be right back." I tell her when we part. "I love you."  
"...Py-per..." The silver haired woman mumbles, avoiding my gaze. "Georgie?..."  
I cup her face in my hands and kiss her lightly.  
"We will keep him safe. He will never be lonely, love. We will tell him of his mother's sacrifice to save Sanctuary when he is old enough. Tell him how his mom was a hero."  
Shadow nods, tears falling afresh and I hold her against me. We end up sitting near the half dug hole in our tight embrace. I don't know how long we are there as I let my own grief take hold, crying into my lover's shoulder. It must be an hour or so later when Preston comes to find us, Nat and Shaun following with Georgie. Shadow takes the infant from Nat and hushes him like an expert. Despite the solemn situation, I feel a smile tug at my lips at the idea of our 'little wasteland family' getting bigger.


	10. The Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, here is the next part. Sorry if it doesn't read well, I may or may not be half asleep as I am re-proofreading this... *awkward laugh*

 (Piper)

"...I know where we are..." Blue says as recognition passes over face. "...E-et can' still be 'ere..."  
"What is it, doll?" I ask and follow as she walks a path she seems to know from memory. "You know this place?"  
"...M' god..."  
I watch as she rubs some dust off a nameplate by one of the locked offices/labs with her thumb.  
"Dr. S. Stryder: Biochemistry and Pharmacy." I read the old text out loud and look at my wife. "This was yours?"  
"...Y-yeah..." she mumbles and moves to the terminal, typing in something and the door opens.  
"Welcome back, Doctor." A fuzzy speaker tells us. "And guest." We enter the room and the automated voice continues. "Assistants Henry Morgan and Sharon Charles are checked in, Doctor."  
Shadow frowns at that.  
"Henry an' Sharon are here?"  
"Affirmative, Doctor."  
I gasp as I see two ghouls in the lab connected to the office Shadow stays in, looking around at the remains of her workspace. They don't seem feral and look shocked when they notice me.  
"H-how did you get in here!?" The more feminine one of the two demands shakily as the male reaches under the desk they are at, possibly for a gun or weapon.  
"Sharon?!" Blue yells as she runs out of the office area. "H-Henry?!"  
"Shadow?" The ghoulified man asks cautiously. "This can't be happening! You're dead!"  
Shadow ignores him and hugs him tightly.  
"Blue, who are these people?" I ask as the woman, 'Sharon', watches me closely.  
"...Oh! Py-per, these were m' assistants in the lab for... well... forever..." She answers. "...I demanded they be transferred wit' meh when I got the offer teh move teh this lab from our little bitty lab in Michigan..."  
This seems to assure the two ghouls they are not hallucinating.  
"It is you!" Sharon yells and launches herself at my wife. "How...?"  
"The Vault near where Nate an' I lived?... Et was ah cryo-sleep testin' facility..."  
"Nate and Little Shaun are alive, too!?" Henry gets excited, but sees my love's expression falter. "What happened?"  
I grasp onto my lover's hand to keep her calm.  
"Nate was... killed... an' Shaun... h-he... was kidnapped...I was the only one teh get outteh the vault 'sides 'im... I'm sure yeh've heard of the Institute?..." She waits for their reaction of widening eyes. "...They took 'im... S-sixty years later, Shaun, 'imself, now the Institute's director an' dyin' of cancer, has meh released inteh this whole new world... I-I make et teh 'im an' he is so brainwashed by the Institute an' the way he grew up th-that.... I... I couldn'... I had teh destroy the Institute... M' Minutemen an' I got in an' blew et up, settin' off the evacuation alarm, of course... J-just befer we were gunnah teleport out... ah boy stops us... claimed he was Shaun... Shaun had made ah synth of how he was as ah child... an' when he knew I was goin' teh destroy the facility... He erased the synth-boy's memories.... replacin' 'em wit' ones meant to make 'im search for meh, 'is aunt....... I couldn' leave 'im behind... He lives in Sanctuary wit' meh an' Py-per an' Py-per's sister, Nat, an' Py-per an' I's adopted son, Georgie... an' our dog, Dogmeat."  
"Wow." Sharon sighs and shakes her head. "That's... just crazy. You really do have shit luck, Shadow."  
"Could say that again." Henry says and puts a comforting hand on Blue's shoulder. "But... Now that that is out of the way..." He nods his head towards me. "Who's she?"  
Shadow smiles at me and laces the fingers of our still connected hands together.  
"...M' wife." She tells them and kisses my cheek lightly. "Py-per Stryder-Wright."  
"Looks like something good came out of the whole ordeal!" Sharon laughs and pats my back. "Be good to the Doctor. She's been through some shit... and I do not just mean recently."  
I nod, but don't look away from my love's face. She is so happy that some of the people she knew before are still alive, ghoul or not, that it makes me smile, too. We lock eyes and she chuckles.  
"Py-per runs the newspaper of Diamond City wit' 'er little sis... I can tell she's got some questions 'bout our lab."  
"You know me too well." I say sweetly. "But, yes, I do have several things I wanna ask."  
"Sure, ask away." Henry says and leads me to the table as Sharon and Shadow take a moment to catch up.  
"What were you working on? Before the war, I mean?"  
"Shadow never told you about her prewar life?"  
"Well... It is a touchy subject and I would never push her for answers."  
Henry thinks, probably trying to put the more technical words into something I can understand.  
"There was a viral illness outbreak. It was like nothing we had ever seen, mostly."  
"Mostly?" I ask, already getting lost.  
"Yes, it had characteristics of illnesses from centuries before, but in a sort of combined state. Like the worst of each disease put into one powerful virus. The government was convinced it was the Commies planting it, but the confirmed cases were so spread out across the nation it was not likely it was some sort of Bio-weapon unleashed by the Reds."  
"Uh-huh... How did you three come to be studying it here?"  
"We were working in a small laboratory in Michigan when Shadow had a breakthrough. While the virus was engineered, it was only affecting certain peoples. Those of Soviet Russian ancestry." He watches my reaction. "It was targeting a specific strand of DNA."  
"DNA? I think Bl-... Shadow told me and my sis about that once... Genetic coding, right?"  
"Good job, Py-per." Shadow says as she sits down next to me. "... An' 'ere I thought yeh were teh busy wit' yer story..."  
I smack her arm and pull my hat down to cover my face as my cheeks burn up.  
"Of course I was listening!" I try to laugh it off, but it comes out all awkward and shy. "It was something I had never heard of before! Even the scientists in Diamond City don't want to talk with the nosy sno--!"  
I am cut off by her lips on mine in a gentle, just enough to get my attention and stop my rambling, kiss.  
"...Py-per... yeh know I don' like when yeh talk 'bout yerself like that..." She says, pulling back to look at me, eyes both pleading and sad. "...Yer amazin'... The best thin' in m' world..."  
I always forget how Blue understands so much, she can be very perceptive. She had similar issues before the bombs, so seeing me like that, it reminds her of her darker times. It may also be she just wants me to see me as she sees me. I don't know, her thoughts have continually surprised me. Always thinking, but not too much that she gets distracted from the danger of the Commonwealth.  
"Blue, sorry." I sigh and peck her lips in apology before Sharon clears her throat and speaks.  
"O-okay lovebirds. We were doin' an interview."  
My adorably nerdy wife smiles shyly and sits back in her seat, blushing brightly as I imagine I am.  
"Yes, DNA determines who you are and how you look. Unfortunately, the virus would, uh... change, i guess you could say, the DNA, causing mutations of cells. Those mutated cells leading to, well, chaos in the body. The immune system would try to rid itself of the invading illness, but in the process become almost completely susceptible to other nasty things."  
I gasp and stare at him. "Did you find a cure?"  
"...Not befer the nukes fell..." Blue mumbles sadly. "....S-so many people died from et a-as we were stuck goin' in circles..."  
Sharon exits the room to what appears to be the rebuilt remains of a sanitary-fridge-storeroom, returning with a vial.  
"Henry and I... we... we followed that lead you had, Shadow.......You were right."  
My wife's eyes widen as she reaches out to take the vial.  
"I... I was right?... This i-is the cure?..." She asks in disbelief. "...All that time... away from Nate an' m' nephew, m' fam'ly... actu'ly lead teh the answer?..."  
Henry and Sharon nod and I take the vial as her hands begin to shake a little.  
"5-28-2280?" I read the date stamped on it. "That's your birthday, Shadow."  
The woman freezes up.  
"...Yeh finished the c-cure on May 28th o-of this year?..." She asks her friends. "You finished the cure on m'... meh an' Nate's birthday?..."  
Her friends nod again with big grins.  
"We thought that was pretty neat, too." Henry says and they start laughing and I am drawn in as well.


	11. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place around 3 or so years after 'Georgie'. Hailey and Bailey are Shadow and Piper's twin daughters. They are almost 2 in this story.
> 
> Oh! And I'm not dead! School started and everything is crazy!

Gone

(Piper)  
"Mmmm..." I hum and roll over to face my lover, or more accurately where my wife should be. "Shadow?"  
"Piper!" I hear my younger sister yell out as the bedroom door swings open. "Piper!!"  
"Nat?"  
"Dogmeat's gone!" She sobs, throwing herself at me for a hug as Shaun enters the room and notices Shadow isn't there.  
"Auntie, where is Aunt Shadow?" He asks and Nat raises her head from my shoulder to look.  
"Shadow's gone, too?"  
"Nat. Shaun." I say quickly to grab their attentions. "Go get dressed. We need to find her." My voice wavers and they rush to their rooms to get ready.  
The door slams loudly behind them causing two high-pitched wails and a young child's crying to break out from by my bedside.  
"Oh, sh, sh, sh... Mama's right here, Bailey..." I rock one of Shadow and I's twin daughters as her sister and Georgie, the now 4 year-old 'clingy preschooler' as my wife called him once, continue to fuss. "Nat! I could use some help in here!"  
Within seconds my sister, the ever dutiful aunt runs back in and picks up Hailey to calm her down. Shaun comes in a couple minutes to help with Georgie.  
"Hey, big guy." Shaun says to the younger boy, stopping the tears almost instantly.  
To say Georgie adores Shaun is an understatement.  
"Shaun!" My son squeals,getting out of his small bed by his sisters and starts running circles around my nephew.  
The sight of my family is close to enough to make me forget the reason we are all up before 8am. Almost. It is not complete without Shadow, the one who brought us all together. My prewar relic wife and other mother to my children.  
"Nat, take the boys down to the market to get some food. Ask about Shadow while you are there." I instruct as I take Hailey from my little sis so I can feed the twins the special 'babyfood' my wife and Codsworth make and put in small jars.  
Natalie salutes and hurries out with the boys on her tail.  
"Oh, Blue..." I sigh, getting my daughters fed. "Where are you?..."

(Shaun)  
"What ya up so early for?" Cait asks as she sees us walking up, standing from her breakfast and morning beer. "And why ya got the little man with ya?"  
The irishwoman may not like to admit it, but she loves the kids of the settlement. Especially Nat, Georgie, Bailey, Hailey, and I (that could just be that Aunt Shadow and her are just really great friends).  
"Shadow and Dogmeat are gone!" Nat tells her animatedly and the redhead appears worried.  
"Where's Piper?" She asks, noticing Auntie Piper is not with us.  
"Feeding the twins." I answer and she pushes past us, heading for our house.

(Cait)  
I push open Shadow and Piper's bedroom door to see hazel green eyes look up at me from changing diapers, hoping that I am her wife.  
"...Cait." She sighs and looks back down at her task.  
"Those two weren't playin'." I mutter taking Bailey up into my arms when Piper finishes with the little girl. "She is actually gone..."  
The dark-burnette haired woman nods sadly and does up her other daughters cloth diaper.  
Codsworth refuses to tell anyone how he manages to keep the things so clean and rad-free for the babies in Sanctuary.  
"We'll find her." I say and rest a hand on my friend's shoulder.

(Next day, Piper)  
"We have a message for the General from her family: Please come home." The Minuteman in charge of Radio Freedom announces yet again.  
The two-way 'ham' radio Ada and Shadow set up let us quickly alert Preston to my wife's disappearance. Even with him being all the way at the Castle. I just hope my love is listening and not in serious trouble.

(A week and a half later, Shadow)  
"Gwen sure had ah lot fer us teh do, 'ey Dogmeat?" I joke to my buddy as Sanctuary comes into view. "But, et's good teh be back. 'Ey! 'Ey Cait!" I call to my friend I notice sitting on the bridge with a couple beers around her.  
The woman sees me and runs up. Pain erupts on my face where she slaps me, hard. Hard enough to send me to the side a little bit.  
"SHIT!!" I curse and look into the seething green that is Cait's eyes, unsure what the hell I did to deserve that and my accent deepens. "Whut deh fuckin' 'ell was dat fer!?"  
"Shadow!" My wife's voice shouts as I see her coming to us.  
"Py-per! Wh-why did Cait hit meh?!" I ask and she stops just out of my reach, acting strangely.  
"Cait." She nods to our friend who huffs and gives me a glare before heading away.  
I flinch at the pure rage in the expression.  
"How c-could you?" Piper sounds quiet and insecure and causes me to get even more confused. "Shadow... we... You can't j-just run off on adventures anymore."  
"I-I... Whu...?" I look at her as she looks me dead in the eye, tears shining in the morning sun.  
"D-do you really think that little of u-us?" She asks and her voice wavers.  
"N-n-no!" I break down, rushing forward to embrace her tightly and I sob onto her shirt and she does the same. "...I-I love yeh more than life etself!... Why... Why w-would yeh think that?!"  
"You... you just left..." She says and weakly pushes at me. "Without a word..."  
"... I've mentioned Vault 81 needed some assistance wit' maintenance befer..." I tell her and turn my face to be in her hair.  
"And I told you we'd go together!" The reporter yells, shoving me away. "Is that where you were this whole time!?"  
"...A-an' travelin' an' some scavvin'... I mumble, avoiding looking at my angry wife.  
"For a fucking week and a half, Shadow!?"  
"...Ah week an'... ah h-half..." I look at my Pipboy, finally realizing how long I was gone. "Oh! Oh, god! Et.. Et was s'posed teh be a-ah day or two!...... Py-per...?"  
"Yeah, Blue...?" She sighs knowing full well how both of us tend to get absorbed into our respective works for days on end and anger breaking.  
"I-I... Et..." I struggle before just giving up and crushing my lips against hers in a kiss she eagerly reciprocates.  
"I was so worried..." she mumbles when we part, gripping my suit as tight as she can to assure herself that I am actually here. "Not a word when you left..."  
"Whut?" I ask, confusion reigning supreme once more, so I pull back to search her eyes. "I left ah note... a-an'... I told yeh... Yeh woke up when I left..."  
"I did not wake up until later." She says and I can see her sincerity in her eyes.  
"Huh." I huff. "Yeh were so responsive teh thin's I said."  
"I wasn't awake and I also never saw a note."  
I give her a look before pulling away and heading to our house as she follows. She's right, the notes are not where I left them on the crate of Sugar Bombs. I purposely put them there to be seen.  
"Not there..." I mutter and look around.  
"They were there?" Piper questions then sees a piece of paper wedged between the crate and the wall, not noticeable unless you were specifically looking. "Is this one of them?"  
I take it from her before she can read it and blush when I see that it is the one I wrote for her, the one for the kids still missing.  
"Y-yes... this one's fer y-yeh..." I say nervously and hand it back to her. "J-j-jus' read et..."  
I sneak glances at her as she reads. A blush spreads over her face and neck and her eyes get super wide and dark.  
"Woah, Blue..." She gasps and fans herself with the paper a little. "You sure know how to use your words on a girl..."  
I chuckle and pull her close.  
"...Y-yer the onl' one who ever m-made meh wannah write that kindah stuff, Py-per..." I tell her truthfully with a deep kiss. "Well, I'm 'ere now..."  
"Yes, you are..." She says, breathing heavy. "And you are not going anywhere in the foreseeable future... Unless I'm with you..."  
"'cceptable terms..." I smirk, kissing her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shadow may or may not have listed all the things she wanted to 'do' to Piper when she got back home... so Implied Smutty Things...


	12. Not really a chapter...

_**Sooooooo....** _

I’m still very much alive... college started so shit’s been busy. Anyway, I was wondering, dear audience... Which oneshot should I work on continueing next? I have ideas, I just wanna see what you guys _want_!

  * “Auntie” Piper and Synth Shaun Meets Nat
  * The New Overboss
  * something new (drama/fight scene)
  * something new (fluffy)
  * Something new (ingame quest/follower quests)



 

Take your pick and please let me know in the comments or a pm. Thanks for the help!


	13. Accent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my other oneshots, I went kinda light on trying to make the mythical ‘MICHIGAN’ accent people say we have, but for this tiny piece, I stressed it as much as I could so you guys can get the whole idea of Piper’s amusement at Shadow trying to say things ‘correctly’... I still do NOT have an accent! ALL YOU DO! Hmph.  
> *grumbling* No such thing as a ‘MICHIGANDER accent’... Everybody else got an accent...
> 
> I suppose there is a difference in how ‘trolls’... (‘down-staters’... uh, residents of Michigan’s lower peninsula...) talk compared to our northern half, the ‘yoopers’... Its more obvious now that I am at college deep in Yooper country. XD Being surrounded by the accent we always thought couldnt actually exist back home... i feel small and a bit outnumbered, but its cool.

(Piper)  
“Hey, I was wondering, Blue...” I say to get my girlfriend’s attention. “What’s up with how you talk?”  
“...H-how I... talk...?” She asks confusedly. “Whut d’yeh mean?...”  
“Your accent.”  
“I don’ have ahn ack-cent.” She huffs, annoyed. “...’ven now, _after deh war_ , yeh guyz are askin’ meh dis...?”  
“‘You guys’?”  
“Uh, yeah... plural of yeh... kind-ah like how deh south has y’all...”  
“‘Deh’?”  
“Deh.... Th-eh...the... wow tha’z awkward teh say right...”  
“Teh, to?” I start giggling at her faces she is pulling as she tries to pronounce things correctly.  
“Tooo. To. Dere.” She looks proud before she realizes she messed up ‘there’. “Gahdammet... goahd-ammit..... I give up...”  
“So you admit to having an accent?” I ask and shuffle closer under our thin blanket.  
“Never.” Shadow huffs before sighing a minute later. “...may-be...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE’S a website that might be better at explaining how Michiganders talk.
> 
> http://www.michigannative.com/ma_idiosyncrasies.shtml
> 
> I don’t count ‘Troll’ as bad like some ’Yoopers’ (upper peninsula residents) joke it is. Like i put in the top note: I am a actually troll going to college deep in yooper country... im far from home... in reality (on a map: world map) im not actually that far from home, but it feels different. I can still tell it is my homestate, just a little changed to fit the yoopers lifestyles...


	14. Eyes

Eyes

(Piper)  
“Blue? I don’t think we are alone.” I say into my girlfriend’s ear as I hear voices muffled somewhat by the wall of where we hid for the night.  
This jolts her awake, the ever light sleeper, and she listens, watching me do the same.  
“...saw smoke from... direction...” A man’s voice is telling someone.  
“You sure?” A woman asks him and Shadow reaches for her shotgun resting next to our sleeping bag.  
My hand closes around my 10mm as the rusty hinged door to the decently intact house squeaks open.  
“Looky here, Edna!” The man, clearly a raider if his grimy appearance has anything to say about it, announces as he spots us in the dim light.  
He doesn’t get to say much else before Shadow fires her gun and he falls back, soon to be replaced by the woman as we scramble to cover.  
“M’ glasses! I didn’ grab m’ glasses!” She yells before panicking. “Py-per!”  
Instantly remembering how vulnerable she is with her poor eyesight, I push her down into cover behind a fallen wall and take her shotgun from her, giving her my handgun.  
“Stay down.” I tell her and look to see about 3 raiders.  
It takes Blue a lot longer than usual to aim without her glasses as everything is blurry and she has little to no sense of depth perception as her near-sightedness in one eye fights with the far-sightedness in her other eye. I end up shoving her down and sitting on her to keep her from trying to help. She must realize why I am keeping her there and just lets me pin her when she could easily throw me off. The raiders aren’t very good shots and take too many risks. Risks that make them almost training-level targets that I pick off quickly.  
“Thats all of them.” I say as I climb off my girlfriend and help her up. “I-I’m sorry, Blue...”  
“...N-no, don’... I wouldah been more ah danger teh m’self...” I look into her squinty eyes as she hugs me.  
She attempts to kiss me, but we end up bumping noses so much as she leans in that I cannot stop from giggling like a little girl at her frustration.  
“Sorry! Sorry.” I tell her and take her hand. “Let’s get your glasses.”  
She nods and lets me help her. Honestly, Shadow could probably do okay by herself right now, but I don’t care.  
“...N-not blind...” I hear her grumbling and I squeeze her hand with a chuckle.  
“Oh, shut up.” I tease as she manages to bump into a doorway even though I guided her through the middle of it.  
She huffs and shakes her hand free of mine and sweeps it out in front of her as she walks. I just let her do her thing knowing she hates feeling useless like she does now without her glasses and she is trying to convey that she is fine and can do it herself.  
“Stop meh befer I step on ‘em, Py-per...”  
“Just a little more, Blue.” I instruct and walk up to her. “No!” I barely manage to get that out as there is a sharp crack. “Too far...”  
“Nonononononooo!” The silver haired Shadow frantically shouts and drops hard to sit on the ground, feeling in the dim light for whatever is left of her glasses.  
I grab part as she gets the other.  
“You got lucky.” I point out as she holds up the main piece with the lenses to look through, searching for any cracks. “Two pieces and a clean break.”  
“Lenses are fine, teh...” Shadow sighs and I hand her the relatively clean cloth she uses to clean her glasses. “......Maybe...”  
“Hm?”  
“Maybe... I-I should take up Shaun’s... offer...”  
“To have the doctors work on your eyes?”  
“Yeah... This couldah been m-much worse... an’.. if these ever do get destroyed... There’s n-no way teh get another pair wit’ m’ perscription...”  
“It’s up to you, Blue. I don’t think I would trust them...”  
“Whut if I brought yeh or... Curie...teh make sure?...”  
“Blue, I love you, but I would NOT be able to watch that. I-I’d still want to come to be there when you are recovering, but Curie should be the one to keep an eye on the doctors.”  
“...We can ask when we get home...” She says and pulls out some duct tape to hold her broken glasses together.

  
(Two weeks later, Piper still)  
6, almost 7, days ago Curie, Shadow, and I relayed into the Institute.  
“You know I trust you greatly, Aunt Shadow...” Shaun had said as the doctors and Curie started preparing to operate. “Now you need to trust us.” He then said he wanted to talk to me privately.  
It was just a bunch of him asking about my relationship with his aunt and about how a robot now inhabited one of his synths. He then tried to sway me as he had Shadow when she first arrived, but gave up when he saw my stance on his and the Institute’s actions was not budging.  
“...Py-per...?” Blue’s voice is rough when it reaches my ears and it snaps me out of my thoughts. “It’s dark...”  
“Its the bandage, doll.” I tell her and she calms when I hold her hand.  
Her hands run along my bare arm (I don’t have my coat on) before grabbing onto my t-shirt sleeve to pull me into the bed next to her.  
“When?...” She asks, still sleepy.  
“Take the bandage off?” I ask when she does not finish and she nods. “Soon. The doctors were impressed with Curie’s technique and have let her be in charge of caring for you post-surgery. She should be by to check on us.”  
“Us?” I cannot see her eyebrows, but i swear one would be raised at that. “Did yeh not take care of yerself, Py-per?...”  
“You were out for almost a week!” I defend, but cuddle up to my girlfriend.  
We do not get long before Curie rushes in.  
“This place has very good instruments, madame.” Our friend tells us as she starts peeling back the wrap bandage over Shadow’s eyes. “It is amazing that the incisions have healed so quickly.”  
I gasp as I see her eyes. “They glow!”  
“Whut?!” Shadow turns to Curie, blinking as the light filters into her freshly healed eyes.  
“I apologize, it is a side effect of the micro machines implanted to repair and replace damaged tissues.... I must ask, was there an incident, perhaps prewar that caused your eyes to be so destroyed?”  
“No...” Shadow sighs. “I’ve had poor eyes since I was little... kept gettin’ worse...... Can I have ah mirror?”  
I hand her the one by the bedside, Shaun brought it by from his own quarters for when she woke up.  
“Woah...” Blue gasps before looking more intently at her slightly changed eyes for a couple minutes. “...Kindah remind meh of TIM’s eyes... ‘cept they’re still m’ pale green...” She sees me looking at her confused. “...The Illusive Man...?”  
“From the sci-fi trilogy ‘Mass Effect’?” Shaun asks as he enters the room. “His eyes were actually what inspired us to look into repairing eyes more in depth.” His gaze turns to me where I am still a little lost. “Ms. Wright, I could lend you my set of the books if you would like to read them.... Anyway, I am very glad you are awake, Aunt Shadow.”  
The old man, that I still have trouble thinking of as Shadow’s nephew, smiles similar to a smile I am all to familiar with. Now I see it, the family resemblance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made a reference to Mass Effect and TIM (what some of my friends and I call The Illusive Man). I have a mod in my modded playthrough that give me plenty of variations of his cool eyes (including the silver version I chose). To fit more in the Fallout universe, I made ‘Mass Effect’ a sci-fi book trilogy as video games never got as advanced as they are in our world.


	15. Robot Worries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m trying something new with how I lay out the chapter. Honestly, it is just lines. If you think it doesn’t need it or you don’t like it, just comment and I’ll go back to just the blank space between parts.

Robot Worries

(Piper)

“Mum?” I vaguely hear Codsworth say, but write it off as part of my dream as I roll over in Shadow’s arms to rest my head under her chin. “Miss Piper?”  
‘That definitely was not my dream.’ I think and open my eyes to glance over my shoulder sleepily before snuggling even closer to my girlfriend.  
The sound of shock Blue makes when she opens her eyes to see the robot just over my shoulder is priceless.  
“...Codsworth...? She asks after she realizes it is just the Mr. Handy and yawns, rubbing her eyes with the hand not holding onto me. “Whut’s wrong?”  
“I am in dire need of mantainance, mum!” The robot sounds almost scared. “I-I don’t think the work you and Mr. Sturges do is enough anymore!”  
“Whut?!” Shadow jumps up out of bed to rush to him, unaware of how her pj tshirt is all bunched up to her upper stomach and her hair has some crazy bedhead. “Whut’s the matter, Codsworth?!”  
“My main circuits are rusting, mum!” He sounds as if he would be crying and trembling were he human. “I need General Atomics hardware to replace them!”  
“‘Ey, ‘ey... shhh. Et’s okay, bud... I..”She glances at me knowing I won’t let her go alone. “We’ll get you the parts you need.”  
“He could become a synth like Curie did.” I say as it comes into my half asleep mind.  
Codsworth and Shadow look at each other for a long moment.  
“...Whut d’yeh think, bud...?” Blue asks hesitantly, avoiding his robotic eyes.  
“I think we can try that as a last resort.” The robobutler decides. “I’ve heard of a place you might be able to get the parts, mum.” Blue looks at him again. “Do you remember where you and your brother got me, before the war I mean?”  
“The... General Atomics Galleria?”  
“The one and only. Well, I have heard from traders that it is still in operable condition, somewhat. Perhaps you could head over there...”  
“...an’ look fer those parts.” Shadow says out loud as she plans in her head.  
———————————————————  
(6 days later, close the the Galleria)  
“I’m sorry you had to wait so long before we could head out because of me.” Sturges says as he walks with Shadow and I. “I was behind on checking the turrets. Thanks for the help with that by the way. It went way faster with two people, Shadow.”  
“No problem.”  
“You must be the new supervisor!” A Mr. Handy exclaims as he gets almost in Shadow’s personal space and my girlfriend gets one of her rare mischievous grins.  
“Yeah, and I’m the governor of Massachusetts, too.” She replies and tries to keep from laughing as Sturges and I are confused, knowing only a little of prewar politics.  
“Provisional Governor Graham! Well, that would explain why you are late! I’m sure you are a very busy woman, ma’am!” The robot seems to get excited and Blue has to try even harder not to laugh. “These must be your assistants!”  
I realize he is talking about Sturges and I.  
“No...” Blue corrects him and gestures to me. “This is m’ girlfriend, Piper Wright.” She gestures to Sturges. “Sturges here is ah good friend an’ outstandin’, uh...” She racks her brain for some oldworld position or something similar to what he does for Sanctuary. “Mechanic?...”  
The Greeter Handy appears to accept this as his eyes drop as he lowers his hover in a sort of respectful bow to us.  
“My apologies, ma’am and sir. I should not have assumed.” He says. “Anyway! You should meet with the Director to tell him you are here, Miss Graham! He has been waiting for you in the sculpture! The access elevator is in the back!”  
The Handy flies off before we can ask anything.  
“Should we?” Sturges asks and I look to Shadow.  
“I guess? Sure, why not... I mean, if he is directing all the robots, he could easily control ‘em teh attack, right?..... S-so we should show we are friendly... Did that even make any sense...?”  
I kiss her blushing cheek and look to the statue.  
“Lets get going then.” Sturges laughs as Blue’s face gets very red. “After you... Governor.”  
———————————————————  
(Tiny time skip)  
The elevator was right where the robot said it was and the Director was extremely suspicious. He asked for identification and Shadow pulled out her old prewar license we found in Vault 111 when we were cleaning it out and preparing to bury the dead. She keeps a finger over her name to hide the obvious thing that would bring our lie to the light.  
“Sorry for the hostility, Governor.” The Director accepts it and Sturges, Blue, and I almost burst out laughing at the fact it worked. “You see, we have had many fakes attempt to claim your position. It is good to meet the real you! Let me take care of the tasks for the Grand Reopening!”  
“Yup, the ‘r-real’ meh...” Shadow allows herself to laugh a little as the robot turns away to mess with the terminals around him.  
“Everything is all set, ma’am! If you would like to take a walk around to check on things, be my guest! I will stay up here and continue monitoring surveillance.”  
“So, I’m the Governor’s girlfriend?” I ask as we ride the elevator back down.  
“I guess you are, Piper.” Sturges chuckles and Blue punches his shoulder playfully. “Wonder if the robots will give you discounts.”  
“Thats act’ly ah good question...” Shadow says before stepping off the platform. “Care teh test et, Py-per?”  
I can tell the scientific side of her is coming out, so I give in and walk to what appears to be a coffee shop and approach the counter while Shadow and Sturges sit at a table outside so they can still hear.  
“Can I get something?” I ask the robot and he turns to me from cleaning a mug.  
Cleaning it of what, I don’t know. It looks perfectly clean. And who could have used it?  
“Of course, ma’am. Anything for Miss Graham’s better half.” I hear my girlfriend and friend laughing through the broken windows and missing door. “Is something wrong with Miss Graham, ma’am?”  
“No, she’s... fine. Sturges probably told her a joke.” I half lie as I did indeed hear the man mumbling something to Shadow before they started laughing.  
I get some snack cakes, enough for the three of us to have 2 packs each and head to where they have pulled over a third chair for me.  
“He only charged me for these 3. The second 3 were free as he said he would never charge ‘our wonderful governor’s significant other’ full price.”  
We all laugh our butts off as we pack the snacks into our bags and head to the general store.  
“Why hello!” The Handy behind the counter says cheerily. “Is there anything I can do for you?”  
“Uh, yeah, there is sumthin’...” Shadow pulls out the note listing the parts Codsworth needs from her pocket. “M’ personal Mr. Handy is in need of some parts an’, umm... I was hopin’ I might be able teh get ‘em ‘ere.”  
“Let me see.” The robot says. “Set it on the desk so I may scan it.”  
Shadow places the slightly crumpled paper down as directed and the Handy looks at it.  
“I apologize, miss, but we are out of a couple of these pieces of hardware... Would you like me to contact General Atomics Headquarters to see about a possible delivery?”  
Knowing it would not be at all ‘possible’ since it was most likely destroyed, we stop him there.  
“N-no thanks, I’ll... do some shoppin’ ‘round, I guess... Thank yeh, though.”  
“You welcome.”  
We leave the store and Sturges and I sit on a bench while Shadow paces a little, trying to think.  
“...We got lucky wit’ Curie...” She mumbles. “...There was ah synth that Dr. Amari knew of... Might not be lucky this time...”  
“We have to try, Blue.” I tell her. “Codsworth is amazing, we can’t lose him to his circuits failing!” I tell her and stand. “He’s... He’s almost like part of our little family...” I admit the last part quietly into Shadow’s ear as she hugs me.  
“‘Ey, I’m not sayin’ we won’ try...” She mumbles in my ear.  
“I think we should get heading back.” Sturges says as he sees a Mr. Gutsy watching us.  
———————————————————  
(A month later, Memory Den, still Piper)  
“It is almost as if you guys know when I fail at the memory wipes...” Doctor Amari says offhandedly as we wait for her to transfer Codsworth into the synth man in the memory lounger.  
Similar to when Curie did this, he gasps and has to be told to just let the body breathe. The other robot-turned-synth (Curie) stands at his side, helping him make sense of everything. She insisted we bring her as she would understand his confusion with his new body more than we would. Cait seems a bit jealous and I make a mental note that I might be able to tease her about this later.  
“Mum!” Codsworth shouts once he feels confident enough on his two legs to let go of Curie and rushes at where Shadow and I are standing. “Miss Piper!”  
There are tears in his eyes and he buries his face in Blue’s collar as he hugs us both. He is so genuinely happy that there is not a dry eye in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry if the ending is a bit rushed, but I wanted to get this up before I had to get ready for class. I’m planning to describe Codsworth’s new body in another part about him getting used to everything with everyone’s help. (Mostly Curie’s help though as she gets what he is going through. However, it causes some clear jealousy from Cait with how much time Curie spends with him and not her). Gotta go! Bye guys!


	16. Obsessive Much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been on a collectible search in my game. I always try to keep things orderly when I display them in Shadow’s (my character’s) house... Then I imagined what would happen if Shaun, Nat, and Piper (or anyone else for that matter) touched them to read or whatnot. This is the result.

(Piper)  
“WHUT HAPPENED TEH M’ STUFF?!” I hear the angry, but at the same time almost sad shout from upstairs while I am talking with Cait and Curie.  
All three of us head to the third floor of Shadow and I’s house in Sanctuary to find my girlfriend taking every single magazine in her collection off of the total of 7 old yellow stands she somehow managed to get up here. When I say all, I mean ALL of them.  
“Blue?” I ask and she snaps her head to me and I can see she is upset. “What’s wrong?”  
I kneel next to where she is sorting the old periodicals out.  
“I-I...” She sighs. “I spent ah whole bunchah time puttin’ these in order... an’ today they were messed up again...”  
I instantly realize that it must have been me when I just set a stack of magazines and comics that Nat, Shaun, and I were reading on the shelves randomly. I tend to forget how OCD Shadow can get about her ‘collectibles’ being in order. Do not get me started on the crates upon crates of Nuka-Cola flavors she sorted out into crates and stored in the only locked ‘food-traincar-storage’. Or even the binders full of meticulously sorted trading cards she has found while scavenging.  
“That was probably me, Blue...” I tell her calmly. “I was reading with Nat and Shaun and... I guess I did not put them back right. Sorry.”  
Silvery pale green eyes widen as Shadow looks at me before she sighs again.  
“...Et... Et’s okay... Not sure why et bein’ messed up bugs meh so much...”  
“It is actually fairly common to not want your things disturbed, madame.” Curie speaks up and Shadow finally notices her and Cait.  
“Yeah, I know I hate when people touch m’ stuff.” Cait says. “Piper? We’ll get goin’. Talk more in the mornin’.”  
“We are?” Curie asks as the redhead herds her back down the stairs.  
I turn back to see Shadow looking intently at the stacks of magazines and comics. Carefully, she begins to replace them on the displays.  
“Do you want help, Blue?” I offer and she stops to consider it.  
She doesn’t respond, but after placing the next comic, she turns and kisses my cheek and hugs me tight.  
“...Don’ need help, b-but... stay next teh meh?” Shadow asks near my ear and I squeeze her in a hug as a yes.  
I read one of the Unstoppables comics as it would be one of the last ones to be put away and sit next my love as she sorts and puts away the rest.

(Later)  
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know is me opening my eyes to find myself curled up with Shadow against my back in our bed and it is dark out, but getting lighter as it seems the sun might be rising soon. How I got to our room? I can guess pretty accurately. I smile as I shift back to be a little to be closer to my love.  
“...Yeh awake?” Blue asks quietly, unsure if I am still asleep or not.  
I roll over to face her with a smile.  
“Awake.” I say and kiss her. “I fell asleep didn’t I?”  
“Mhmm...” She hums. “Yer leanin’ on m’ shoulder made et hard teh sort... but I finished an’ well... yeh can see I brought y-yeh teh bed...”  
“Thanks.”  
Her expression is drowsy, so I just curl up against her again and we go back to sleep knowing the settlers will need Shadow in the morning. The Minutemen will need her as well and I am due to start putting my notes together for a new article.


	17. Buildings and Homestate Memories

Buildings and Homestate Memories

  
(Piper)

  
“...Always hated the buildin’ style...” Shadow grumbles as she heaves up part of a fallen metal door with ease so we can get through. “...Teh much damn metal... an’ the retro style... Ugly.”  
“What do you mean?” I ask as I slip by and then hold up the metal as best I can while my girlfriend comes through.  
“Brick an’ mortar an’ wood... beautiful old rustic housin’s... I missed ‘em so much when I moved here... E-even the skyscrapers were built teh match the older buildin’s...”  
“Really?”  
“...Sadly m-most...” She sighs. “ah lot of the great architecture was boarded up an’ abandoned... I had wished teh see ‘em in their prime. Kindah like how yeh say yeh wish yeh could see some of this, Py-per.” Shadow laughs quietly as she looks through an intact filling cabinet. “Well, huh.”  
“Find something?”  
“Talk ‘bout timin’!” Blue laughs out loud and holds up a pretty stuffed folder. “This company’s folder on the status of Detroit.” She opens it and lays the stuff out on a desk. “Good pics in here. Most of the city, but some of the nature... ‘Pure Michigan’ at et’s finest...”  
She hands me a photo of what appears to be a long bridge.  
“That a bridge?”  
“Mhm. The Mighty Mac.”  
“Mack-i-nack.” I sound out the name on the back and Shadow facepalms with a wide grin. “What?”  
“Mackinac is said Mack-i-naw... One of the ways yeh could tell outsiders was ask ‘em teh pronounce certain places in Michigan...” A smirk shows. “Ever heard of Hell?”  
I’m confused where this came from.  
“Y-yeah...” I start and my prewar relic laughs even louder. “I guess not?”  
“Hell is ah little town in Michigan.” She stops as if smacked. “...Prob’bly isn’ there anymore...”  
“Blue...” I grab onto her sleeve when I see tears in her eyes as she looks at pictures of her old homestate. “C’mere.” She rushes into my embrace and cries openly.  
“Et’s all gone, isn’ et?!” She demands, I know she is not asking me or anyone in particular. “Detroit w-was ah manufacturin’ city... R-really important teh the w-war effort...”  
“We don’t know, Shadow...” I try to stay calm and soothe her. “We aren’t as connected with outside the Commonwealth anymore...”  
Eventually her tears slow and she pulls away from my shoulder to stare into space. I rest my head against her bowed one and force her to look at me.  
“Hey, I-I cannot say if ‘Michigan’ is still at all there or not, but I can say for sure that I’m happy you are here. You are strong.”  
She chuckles weakly, but meets my eyes willingly now.  
“I-I... I love yeh...” The woman mumbles and I kiss her lightly.  
“I love you, too, Blue.”


	18. A Song from the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: THIS WILL BE SAD! I WAS LISTENING TO THE SONG SHADOW SINGS AND THIS CAME TO MIND!
> 
> SHADOW’S ACCENT WILL ‘BE’ IN THE SINGING, BUT I AM NOT GOING TO PICK THROUGH THE LYRICS AND TYPE IT OUT WITH THE ACCENT!! JUST IMAGINE!
> 
>  
> 
> Song: “Words” by Skylar Grey

Memories

(Piper)

I’ve heard Shadow sing before, but I’ve never heard her sing with such emotion as now, in Sanctuary’s graveyard and in front of her brother’s grave. Her pipboy is on the ground nearby playing music and she is near intuned with the singer in the recording as I walk quietly closer. Her accent slipping into the verses.

“Always in a rush  
Never stay on the phone  
Long enough  
Why am I so self important?  
Said I'd see you soon  
But that was, oh,  
Maybe a year ago  
Didn't know time  
Was of the essence  
So many questions  
But I'm talking to myself  
I know that you can't hear me  
Anymore, not anymore  
So much to tell you  
And most of all goodbye  
But I know that you can't hear me  
Anymore  
It's so loud inside my head  
With words that I  
Should have said  
And as I drown in my regrets  
I can't take back  
The words I never said  
Always talkin shit  
Took your advice  
And did the opposite  
Just being young and stupid  
Oh  
I haven't been all that you  
Could have hoped for  
But I you held on  
A little longer  
You'd have had more reasons  
To be proud  
Oh  
So many questions  
But I'm talking to myself  
I know that you can't hear me  
Anymore, not anymore  
So much to tell you  
And most of all goodbye  
But I know that you can't hear me  
Anymore  
It's so loud inside my head  
With words that I  
Should have said  
And as I drown in my regrets  
I can't take back  
The words I never said  
The longer I stand here  
The louder the silence  
I know that your gone  
But sometimes I swear  
That I hear  
Your voice when the wind blows  
So I talk to the shadows  
Hoping you might be listening  
'Cause I want you to know  
It's so loud inside my head  
With words that I  
Should have said  
And as I drown in my regrets  
I can't take back  
The words I never said”

“...Shadow...” I whisper, tears in my eyes now as my wife sobs now, not noticing me.  
“I-I...” She starts to say something to the grave before I step on a branch, startling her. “Who’s there?!” Her hair, now getting a bit longer compared to when I met her and growing surprisingly fast in the year she has been out of the vault, fans out around her head as she turns to me. “...P-Py-per?... How... H-how long have yeh been th-there...?”  
“L-long enough.” I tell her, failing to stop my voice crack as I wipe tears and move to her.  
“D-don’ cry... P’eas...” She mumbles and holds me. “I-I’m fine... M-miss ‘im at times, b-but......nothin’ I-I can do...”  
“How are you so cold about the fact that your _brother_ is gone?” I ask before I can stop myself. “I-I didn’t mean it like that!”  
She squeezes me a bit and hides her face in my coat’s collar.  
“...Death... et... was pretty c-common I guess...” She pulls away enough to look me in the eye, or try to as she has issues with eye contact (especially in tough situations like this; she is getting better though). “Lotsah people I knew... b-befer... died...”  
“In the bombs?” I ask cautiously.  
“No... W-well, yeah... But not whut I was meanin’...... Befer even that... they got sick... n-not all at once, over time an’ diff’rent thin’s each...” She trails off.  
“Oh.” I mumble, not sure what to say or do.  
“B-by the time I was 14... I’d gone t-teh 12 fune-rals fer family an’ friends...” Blue cries and it takes a moment for her to calm down. “...An’ each time... each p-person... Jus’ befer they got sick...” A deep, shaky breath. “I had tried teh... o-open up teh ‘em... Tried t-teh let ‘em in...”  
“Blue?” I ask and squeeze her gently.  
“I-I started teh feel like ah damn c-curse or sumthin’!” She suddenly yells, burying herself closer to me. “I-I tried teh distance m’self from people...”  
“Shadow?” She looks at me again. “D-does it... scare you that you’ve... ‘o-opened up’ to me?”  
Her eyes drop to the floor as she nods, pulling away completely and turning to her brother’s grave again.  
“...Course et d-does... B-but... I...” She glances over her shoulder at me quickly. “Et’s... worth the r-risk.......Nate... He told meh that when yeh find the one yeh love... fer ‘im, Nora... The risk of losin’ ‘em seems so min-iscule... Like et will be okay... a-an’ the time wit’ ‘em makes et better an’ better...”  
She turns and kisses me.  
“...F-fer meh:.... et’s _yeh_ , Py-per...”  
My face must be as red as my coat as we stand there together.


	19. Skeptical Settlers and Pet Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place shortly after ‘Eyes’. Yes, I made it a bit of how Shadow thinks and sees things more than I did in the other oneshots.

Skeptical Settlers and Pet Names

(Shadow)  
  
I’m sitting on the ground in the middle of Somerville place. I have not been here in a long while and decided to make the trek to check in on things. Yeah, we have ham radios for that, but I sometimes like to tour my, er, _the_ settlements. Wow, being the General sure is reshaping how I view things... _I_ do not own the settlements ( _no one_ owns them; the Minutemen  help them). After all the work I’ve put into the different locations, I guess it is natural I would feel like this. Whatever, not the point. I chuckle to myself at how far off track from what I was meaning to ponder my thoughts had gotten. People have been avoiding me and I do not understand why. When I first arrived with Piper and Dogmeat, they almost fired on us until a settler that I met before recognized my outfit. However, even he refused (and continues to refuse) to meet my eyes or stand in my prescence for very long. None of the newer settlers will not even come near me. They go the other way to keep from getting close when I am walking around the settlement, trying to help out. Kind of hard to help when everyone is avoiding me!  
“You okay, miss?” What sounds like a young boy asks and I see two children standing in my peripheral. “You look lonely.”  
Now I look at them and they gasp.  
“You got pretty eyes!” The little girl of about 5 or 6 says and moves closer.  
“Why are you alone?” The boy asks.  
“...Well, m’ girlfriend an’ dog are ‘ere wit’ meh, but they are doin’ somethin’...”  
“Girlfriend? The lady who came to town with you?” The boy asks and sits next to me in the dirt as the little girl just up and sits herself in my lap. “I’m sorry for my sister... Zaria, you ask before you just sit on someone!”  
“N-no, et’s fine...” I tell him. “Zari-ah, huh? Lovely name.”  
“You say my name weird...” The girl, Zaria, pouts and I pat her head.  
“Et’s m’ accent. Makes certain words sound diff’rent...”  
“Oh.” Is all she says before sitting quietly again, now staring at my scarred face and arms.  
It is warm today and I was expecting to be working, so I passed on my usual suit and put on a pair of jeans and an old tshirt I found.  
“What’s your name, miss? I’m Colby.”  
I smile at the sandy-blonde haired boy and absently start braiding his sister’s dark brown hair. If you look a certain way, Zaria’s hair looks almost black, but you can tell in the sun it is just a very dark brown.  
“Shadow.” I tell him and he gasps.  
“You’re the General!”  
I watch as he stands and salutes me, gaining the attentions of a couple settlers. Zaria jumps off my lap to mimic her older brother and I laugh, standing myself to give them my own mock salute. We all just giggle after before Zaria drags me, quite literally, to show me off to the other kids of the settlement. They don’t think I notice, but I can sense the strong unease and wary eyes on me from the grown ups as I am led to the toy room I remember setting up myself just a couple months ago. I push the negative thoughts out of my mind and am soon enjoying a game of blast radius, times three. We took the pieces from other copies of the game laying around and made a giant game with all of us.  
“Hey, doll. There you are!” Piper’s voice reaches me as we are in the middle of our fourth round of the board game.  
“‘Ey.” I say shortly as she happened to walk in as it was my turn. “One sec...” I begin to mumble as I do my turn. “...If I go there... Hmmm...”  
I move my piece and lean back against Piper’s legs. I knew she was standing behind me at this point.  
“...Whut’s wrong?” I ask when I see her face.  
“I need to talk to you.” She simply says and catches my glance to the board game and the excited children too focused on Zaria, who is up after me for her turn. “After this game.”  
I smile a little and pat the ground next to me, inviting her to sit. She does and rests her head on my shoulder as the game is finished.

(Timeskip)  
“The settlers think you’re a synth, Shadow.” Piper tells me as we lay in the bed the settlers let us have, away from most everybody else.  
“Whut?!” I watch as she rolls over to face me. “Wh-where’d they get that idea?”  
“Blue, I may be used to your ‘fixed’ eyes, but to everyone else...”  
“...Might be ah bit scary...” I put two and two together. “...’x-p’pains why they been ‘voidin’ meh like the Black Plague...”  
“You are going to tell me what that reference is later, but right now we need to figure out how to prove it is really you.”  
“Course...” I mumble and kiss her nose. “Ideas?... Yeh know how I am wit’ people...”  
“You did great with the kids.” She points out. “Wait! I got it!”  
“That was ah bit loud...” I grumble and flinch away at her almost yelling into my ear. “Stupid sensitivity teh sound... ow...”  
The reporter just pecks me cheek before telling me her plan.

(Timeskip, again)  
Every day for the week we stay there, Piper, Dogmeat, and I play with the kids. Slowly the adults begin to approach me. Extremely cautiously they do so, but they approach, so I am not complaining. Piper works her magic talking to them adding the final push to make them realize I am a human and not a synth. Between seeing me handle the children and Piper’s words. It does not take much more to convince even the most skeptical of the settlers.  
“Don’t go!” “Please stay!” “Do you haveta leave?” The children swarm me when I tell them it is time for Piper and I to head home, to our real home in Sanctuary.  
“Py-per an’ I have thin’s teh do, guys!” I have to raise my voice to be heard, there are a lot of children in this settlement.  
Perhaps I should look into building a school or the like... No, stay focused. Can think about that later.  
“Does Dogmeat gotta go, too?” Colby asks hoping I will say he can stay.  
Piper must see me beginning to cave at the sad faces in front of me and steps in.  
“Yes, he has to come home with us. We need him to protect us on the road!”  
I know she is being dramatic to distract the crowd around us.  
“Y-yeah!” I agree when they look to me again.  
“Awwwwww...” Is the collective sigh as Piper and I grab our bags.  
Dogmeat comes to us when I whistle.  
“Don’ worry, we’ll be back!” I tell the children before turning to walk away. “If I hear yeh guys are good...” I trail off and Zaria speaks up.  
“What?”  
“I may bring some presents...” I say casually and begin walking. “Just sayin’...”  
I hear them get excited.  
“You surprise me sometimes.” Piper says as she catches up and Dogmeat seems to agree if his sudden bark has anything to say about it.  
“Gotteh keep yeh on yer toes... babe...” I add the pet name quietly on the end.  
I know she calls me ‘Blue’ and sometimes even ‘Doll’, but I’m not sure if she will be okay with me calling her ‘Babe’.  
Her eyes are wide when I glance at her and I feel my cheeks burning along with my ears.  
“D-did you just...?”  
“...Ummm, y-yeah, I did... Was that n-not okay...?” I nearly whisper in my fear.  
She stops suddenly and grabs my hand, effectively halting me.  
“Blue, Shadow... I liked it.” She grins widely at me and I hug her tight.  
“O-okay... babe.”  
We both giggle at our stupid nervousness over this before continuing on our path home.


	20. Scaredy Cats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally visited the Grandchester Mystery Mansion... I’m kinda spooked now. Sorry if this chapter inspired by my visit to the mansion is a bit out there, but I just wrote as I thought...

Scaredy Cats

(Piper)

“P-Py-per, d-don’ turn ‘r-round...” Shadow tells me as we stand in the attic of the Grandchester Mystery Mansion in Nuka-World.  
“Blue, I told you nothing’s there.” I try to calm her, but she keeps staring wide eyed and terrified at something over my shoulder. “I-I’ll show you.” I am now a bit scared too, but I force myself to turn around. “See....”  
There stands a partly see through girl about Nat’s age that is just there watching us.  
“H-hello?” I ask shakily and move forward a little and the girl just laughs. “Who are y-you?”  
Giggles is the only response I get and Shadow moves to be right behind me, grabbing for my hand without removing her gaze from the ghost.  
“L-Lucy?...”  
The girl stops giggling and looks at my wife.  
“You know my name!” A whispery voice says cheerily and it must be coming from the ghostly girl as no one else is in the building with us. “You’re nicer than that man was! He thought I was one of his robots!”  
“...The raider?” I ask, but the girl keeps going.  
“It’s been so lonely here by myself!... After the loud booms, no one came to visit the house anymore...” Lucy the ghost looks sad.  
“Booms... The nukes...?” Shadow puts it together and looks at the girl with some courage gathered. “Th-there was ah nuclear war... M-m-most everythin’ was destroyed...”  
The ghost seems to look into her soul.  
“You aren’t part of this new world like her are you?” Lucy asks like a curious little girl.  
“How can you tell she is prewar?” I ask when Shadow loses her little bit of courage and all but hides behind me, terrified again.  
“It’s obvious when you look into her mind... oh, wait... you can’t do that like I can!” She giggles and Blue whimpers a little. “Like I can see you comparing me to your little sister... Natalie, is it?”  
I step back and almost knock Blue over.  
“D-don’t do that!” I snap, trying to reign in my terror.  
“Fine...! You’re no fun!!” The ghost looks like she is pouting and turns away. “I don’t care! Have all this stuff! Not like I can use it!” Her mood shifts back to giggly as she runs off through a door that Shadow noticed her run through earlier while I had missed it.  
I had opened that door to show her nothing was there after that and we found it leads to just a wall.  
“G-grab what we need and get outta here?” I offer and Blue agrees completely, rushing to grab parts from the robots the ex-gunner left on his work benches.


	21. The New Person (Part One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I got bored of Fallout 4 a bit and decided to play some Fallout 3... This popped into my head.
> 
> KEY POINTS:  
> -> Nate and Shadow had a younger brother (haven’t chose a name for him yet). He was too young to move out when Shadow and Nate did. (A good few years age difference)  
> -> Amata decided to leave the vault a couple months after everything calmed when Shade left the second time  
> -> Sarah managed to avoid being killed by Maxson, but is now on hiding from the Brotherhood who presume her to be dead  
> -> Yes, I happen to like Moira Brown. Quite a bit to be honest, she reminds me much of myself  
> -> couldn’t decide who I wanted to be Shade’s wife... So I just decided on a polyamory relationship for her.  
> -> Shade does indeed have the same accent as Shadow, though it is less pronounced as she was raised around a more general accent then Shadow was.  
> -> I’m writing this as I am eating so a bit distractedly. Tell me if it does not read well...

The New Person (Part One)

(Piper)

Shadow and I are working on the printer as Nat is selling papers nearby on her box.  
“Hey, lady, you new in town?” I hear my sister say as a woman in full combat armor walks down the stairs.  
“Y-yeah.” She stutters slightly, her voice somewhat similar to my wife’s.  
I get distracted from the exchange as Shadow tries to stand up and hits her head on part of the printer.  
“Shadow!” I yell and kneel next to where she is holding her head where she hit it.  
“Shadow?” The new woman asks as she removes her full helmet and ski goggles.  
“Y-yeh... Yeh have the same name as meh...”  
She looks a lot like my wife, almost scarily like my wife.  
“I-I do?” Blue looks up at the woman as Nat and I fuss over her. “‘Ey, I’m fine guys! I-I’m fine.” I pull my hands away and she grabs onto it to hold. “...Thanks though...”  
Nat just shrugs and goes back to her soapbox.  
“So, your name is Shadow?” I ask the woman and she nods. “And you look like her, too... Shadow is an odd name. Is it what you were given at birth?”  
“Y-yeah, ‘parently far back in m’ family I had ah great times whutever aunt or some such named Shadow... M’ dad would tell meh how I looked jus’ like the stories an’ pictures ‘is fam’ly showed ‘im...”  
Blue takes in a deep breath and stands up in front of the other Shadow.  
“...Whut’s yer last name...?”  
“...Stryder...” She answers hesitantly and the three of us (Nat, Blue, and I) gasp. “Wh-whut?”  
“Y-yer... m’... g-great neice....” My Shadow stumbles over her words in shock and looks at the other woman closely. “I-I...”  
“Let’s go inside to talk... It’ll be more private in there.” I tug gently on Blue’s sleeve towards Home Plate.

(Inside Home Plate)  
“Sooooo...” The new Shadow mumbles awkwardly. “H-how ‘xactly are yeh related teh meh?”  
“...M’ twin brother an’ I... we had ah younger brother... He an’ our parents lived in the DC area... They moved there after I had grown up an’ left... I had hoped they had made et teh ah vault...”  
“Whut’re yeh sayin’?”  
“I was... alive when the bombs were dropped. An’ befer yeh ask, Nate an’ I an’ Nate’s son were frozen in Vault 111... Onl’ been out fer ‘bout ah year, almost two...”  
“Y-yer m’ great aunt?”  
“I think she would be.” I chime in and sit next to my love.  
“AUNT SHADOW, WE’RE BACK!” We hear Shaun yell as he and Dogmeat enter the building, stopping only when they see the woman on the couch who looks so much like Shadow. “Who’s she?”  
“Shaun, I-I’d like you to meet, well... Yer other aunt, I guess...”  
“‘Other aunt’? I-I thought it was just you and me and aunty...”  
“Aunty?” The other Shadow asks and I blush lightly.  
“He means me.” I explain and take off my glove to show my ring.  
The woman nods and looks back to the boy, fascinated almost by how he looks so much like both her and my Blue. “He’s really not yeh guys son?”  
“I-I get that we look so similar, but damn...” Shadow mumbles to herself before answering. “No, he is Nate’s son... Et’s... Et’s ah long story...”  
Georgie starts crying from his crib and Blue goes to get him. She quickly shushes him as she walks back to her seat on the couch next to me.  
“This is our adopted son, Georgie.” I explain. “His mom... died trying to protect the settlement we live in. We’re just in the city right now so I can get work done.”  
“Ohhh...”

(Tiny time skip, Blue)

Shadow asked us to call her Shade so there is less confusion between her and myself. She told us of her adventures in the capital wastes. MacCready had even recognized her when he stopped by to ask me something. Apparently she was in a polyamory relationship with three woman back home. One is her childhood best friend turned Overseer of the vault they grew up in turned wasteland wanderer, one is the daughter of the former leader of the Brotherhood of Steel (ahe is currently in town with Shade, but is laying low as to not get recognized. She joined us later in the evening), and the third, a nerdy general store owner.  
“Damn...” Is all I could say to that.  
My niece... Yeah, niece is easier than the great-times-whatever niece that she technically is. It was clear she loved her little ‘harem’, if the looks between her and Sarah were anything to go by.  
Piper and I let them borrow the big bed in Home Plate, opting to go back to Piper’s bed still in Publik Occurances. I am trying to sleep as we all decided to transform Home Plate into a home for my niece and her lovers... Would wives be better? Are they married? Huh... I did not catch if they are or not... Anyway, we  got lots of work ahead of us because I haven’t really touched that place since I bought it. I stayed with Piper and Nat mostly before we moved to Sanctuary. I had offered to build my niece a house in the settlement that could now begin to rival Diamond City or Goodneighbor with its size and population. However, then I remembered that that might take a long while and they would want somewhere to stay during that time So we are going to spruce up my home in Diamond City a little so they can stay here while Shade and I work on building their house in Sanctuary.  
“Ugh...” I groan when I see it is only one in the morning on my pipboy’s clock and slip out of bed, giving up on sleep.  
“Blue?” Piper asks and I just kiss her forehead. “Taking a walk?”  
“Mhmm...” I hum in response and she goes back to dreamland, understanding my need to go out and walk around a little before trying to sleep again.  
“Lovely night?” I ask as I see Sarah and Shade out on the roof of Home Plate, looking off into the direction I think the Capital Wasteland is in I’m too tired to really think about it or care much, honestly. They jump at my voice and I chuckle as they look down at me. “Mind if I come an’ join yeh guys?”  
We spend the morning talking more on what we talked about last night. Like how we would send word for Amata and Moira to join them here in a couple days once the house is set. Then Shade and Sarah would walk with Piper and I on the journey back to Sanctuary once they arrive and spent some time together with the four of them. We even begin to plan out some rough blueprints on how the house should be laid out. They want Amata and Moira’s opinions on it, too, so they are just vague little sketches and a couple notes. It was kinda funny when Cait and Curie arrived for breakfast and almost confused Shade for me. It took a long time to explain what was going on. Curie seemed absolutely amazed by this revelation while Cait and MacCready were still lost and surprised respectively. It was fine until Danse decided to visit. He knew who Sarah was and as everyone in the Brotherhood was told that Sarah had been killed in action when Maxson took over, the synth man was donright dumbfoundedas he laid eyes on her. This put Sarah on edge until we told her of Danse’s situation and that ‘technically’ he was dead to the BoS as well. Eventually, we managed to eat without anymore interruptions and set to work on making Home Plate more liveable with most of our friends chipping in to help. I’m shocked how Cait said yes reluctantly when I asked, but eagerly started helping more when she saw Curie struggling to lift a bigger board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I should keep Shade around in more one-shots from now on (or if maybe i should/you want me too, go back and add her a little to some of the earlier oneshots) just leave me a comment. Kudos and comments appreciated!


	22. Outfit Swap

Outfit Swap

(Shadow)  
I wake up earlier than normal. Normally Piper is up before me to wake Nat and Shaun for school, but today she is still asleep in my arms. As I manage to get up without disturbing her, I grab for my pipboy and see it is 6:00. Too early to be up in my opinion, but too late to go back to sleep. When I see Piper’s clothes and coat laying over the chair in our room while the parts of my suit are just where I left them on the floor near my side of the bed, an idea strikes me. I leave my clothes alone and grab my wife’s instead.

(Piper)  
For once it seems Shadow woke up before me. I heard her moving around as she got dressed, but was too tired to get up. I think she knocked over something trying to put her pants on again. Sitting up, however, I find that Shadow’s suit is still on the floor and my clothes are missing.  
“Blue...” I sigh and pick up her clothes, laying them out on the bed. “Two can play this game.”

(Cait)  
“Didya see the General today?” I overhear a Minuteman asking another and it peaks my interest.  
“Somethin’ wrong with ‘er?” I ask and they stiffen, obviously not realizing I was listening.  
“She was wearing her wife’s outfit.” The first guy tells me and I raise an eyebrow at him knowing Shadow’s slight difference in stature and height compared to Piper makes them sharing clothes not work out the best on some occasions. “I know what I saw! Silver hair and glow-ey eyes and a face covered in scars! In a red trenchcoat and cap!”  
I leave him behind when I notice the woman we are talking about walking towards the dining hall.  
“What are ya wearin’?” I ask as I catch up to her.  
“Whuts et look like?” She asks right back, standing with a mischievous grin proudly displayed on her face. “I stole Py-per’s clothes!”  
“Yer an idiot...” I grumble with my own small smile as we head to get food, waiting for a certain reporter to arrive.

(Piper)  
I walk into the food house and immediately my eyes are drawn to the back of a very familiar coat sitting next to a familiar redhead. It is hard to supress my grin and blush at how well my love looks in my outfit and the fact that people are staring at me in Shadow’s slightly loose on me blue suit while I sit down on the bench next to the two. Curie joins us within the hour and she chuckles, but says nothing.  
“May I ask about the outfit, madame?” She eventually questions.  
“Oh, I woke up to find Blue had taken my clothes.” I answer and glare half-heartedly at Shadow from the corner of my eye.  
“I woke up first teh-day an’ thought et’d be funny teh wear ‘er clothes...” My wife answers before turning to look me over, appraisingly. “‘Sides... I think she looks n-nice in m’ suit...”  
“Sh-shut up... What if you got stuck wearing, I don’t know, Cait’s corset or somtthing!?” I end up babbling. “Or, or one of Curie’s dresses?”  
“I’m sure ya’d like to see her laced up in my tight corset, wouldn’t ya.” Cait teases and I feel my cheeks heating more. “I’m sure ya think she’d look hot dressed in one a Curie’s fancy dresses, too.”  
Shadow is the one to walk away from the conversation, specifically trying to get away from the mentions of dresses being put on her.

It does not surprise me when I come back from interviewing the next day to find Shadow reading a book while waiting for me on our bed in a black and grey version of our friend’s corset and charcoal army pants and black military boots. Overall she looks like her namesake, a shadow. On another night, I find her in the dining room of Home Plate when we are in town for a weekend away from the kids. She made a very lavish dinner and is dressed in a full tux. It takes a long time, but eventually it seems that Curie finally broke Blue’s walls and gets her to wear a sparkly dark silver dress. She holds out a deep red dress to me before our date at the Third Rail one evening. I don’t mind the new outfits, but I do wonder what brought this on, though if I had to guess, I’d definitely say Cait and Hancock had some part to play in this. They’ve given my wife ‘tips’ before and I’m sure they did it again.  
Not that I’m complaining as I admire Shadow in deep blue and black tux we found in the back of a clothing store. Not complaining at all...


	23. Piper and Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was searching through my gameclips and stuff on my xbox and I found this. It was from before I found the newsboy hat I put armor on and have Shadow wear now... But... I still think it is a nice shot of the two of them... Course Shadow seems quite bored XD


	24. Sports and Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started a new game, but still ended up pretty much making Shadow look exactly the same as she did in my original file... even named her Shadow as well (Still cannot believe ‘Shadow’ is not a name Codsworth can say!)... ANYWAY... I forgot how much I dislike Moe... Here is how I SORTA wish you could handle the whole Swatter thing...

 Sports and Rage

(Piper)

  
“PIPER!” Nat calls into the house. “YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO GET THE OLD LADY!”

“What could she have gotten herself into...” I mumble and grab my coat, putting it on as I walk.

  
“Swatter? That’s whut yer callin’ ah damn bat? Not ah ‘Slugger’ like the old ‘Louisville Sluggers’?” Blue is asking Moe somewhat pissed off when I walk up. “I dunno whut baseball slang was reall’ used ‘ere, teh be honest, but back home... I-I... Why am I even botherin’? Yer not gunnah even listen are yeh?”

“Blue?” I reach out for her arm, but miss as she fails to notice me and grabs a bat, twirling it with one hand.  
“Teh light...” She mumbles and sets it down to test another. “Still teh light...” She speaks up. “Got any heavier? These are teh light an’ et would fuck up m’  swing big time.”

“And how would they ‘fuck up’ your swing?” Moe demands, clearly annoyed. “They’re used to bash in skulls! Swing does not matter!!”  
Shadow’s grip on the bat tightens and I see her jaw set.

“Yer reall’ dat dumb? Even wit’ their _new_ intended use, ah level swing is always the best option! The more level ah swing, the more force behind et an’ dat translates inteh power!”

“‘New use’?! The hell are you talkin’ about!?”  
A couple officers move subtly closer, but back off a little when I hold up a hand.

“YER SOOO DAMN WRONG ‘BOUT BASEBALL THAT ET’S NOT EVEN FUNNY!!” Blue snaps and all but throws the bat down before continuing to fix Moe with a glare that could cut steel.

“Nobody fuckin’ died in baseball! Not in softball either! An’ befer yeh make ah damn comment ‘bout _softball,_ theball wasn’ soft! Yeh see this scar?! This one, right ‘ere?!” Her glasses are taken off to point at a line running jaggedly (one of many on her scarred face) from the far left edge of her left eyebrow to about just past her eye, not cutting into the eye, but just next to it. “Ah softball broke m’ glasses I was wearin’ an’ then the snapped frame an’ glass cut inteh m’ skin!” She puts her glasses back on so she is not squinting anymore. “In softball, the balls are bigger in size, so that means ah lower speed then wit’ ah baseball, but that increased surface area still packs ah hell of ah punch!”

“How am I wrong about _baseball_!? All you’ve said is about _softball_!”

“Baseball an’ softball follow the same fuckin’ ruleset wit’ reall’ _minor_ differences, yeh asswipe! As ah former player m’self, I won’ fuckin’ jus’ stand by an’ listen teh yeh ruin m’ favorite sport an’more than yeh already have!”

“What makes you the fuckin’ expert?!”

“DIDN’ YEH JUS’ HEAR MEH!?” Shadow rages and I watch the guards ready their weapons.

“Shadow!” I yell to get her attention, grabbing onto her sleeve for a second before she instinctually pulls away, surprised. “C’mon, let’s head back to my house.”

Glancing around, I see the guards still on edge, but they seem to step back a bit more now that I am trying to calm her down and diffuse the situation. They won’t admit it, but they do like to have me around when it comes to talking people out of things or getting someone under control without the use of violence (ONLY under certain circumstances, I should mention though!)

“B-but...!” The silver haired woman starts, then finally sees the crowd she has drawn as well as the officers. “Oh. U-uhhh... I-I’m sorree...” She looks back at a smug Moe and her anger returns slightly. “I’ll be back teh... explain... more once I’ve, uhh, had some time teh... think...”

“Right back to shy and quiet, huh?” I whisper in disbelief at the sudden change in attitude as Shadow bows her head respectfully to the guards before walking towards my house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say SORTA how I wish I could handle it!
> 
> **With all the drama... I decided the spacing should be a bit, well, more... uh, so yeah...**


	25. Waterworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread the first couple lines as I proofread... It kinda sounds like somethin’ else may be goin’ on XD ....... Didn’t even notice ‘til I started proofreading!

Waterworks

(Piper)

  
“You can’t be serious!” I say as I watch my girlfriend of only a couple hours now undoing her armor.  
“Yeh bet I’m serious.” She says right back and smirks at me. “Et won’ take long!”  
“Blue, I really don’t think this place is safe...”  
The woman starts tugging her ripped-and-repaired-many-times grey tshirt up over her head and I quickly look away.  
“Py-per... I-I wouldn’ mind, uhh... much, i-if yeh looked...” Her voice is so very quiet that I almost miss it, however I do not turn back around. “Huh... fine then...”  
I hear the zipping of a zipper and chance a peak to see her now wearing the extra - unopened, until now - vault 111 suit she carries ‘just in case I need somethin’ teh swim in, et is jus’ like ah swimsuit!’ as she elegantly puts it. I’m still watching her when the man that convinced her that diving into a large hole filled with murky water would be a good idea (a hole that could very, very possibly be hiding a lot of Mirelurks) walks up.  
“Look for bubbles, they should lead you to the leaks.” Sully tells her and Shadow stands at the edge with the scope from her sniper, goggles instead of her glasses.  
“Be careful, please.” I hug her, fearing this may be the last time I will be able to and making her turn to hold me tight to her.  
“...’ey, I’m ah reall’ great swimmer...” I glare lightly at her and she chuckles awkwardly, squeezing me reassuringly. “I’ll be careful.”  
“Good. Um, I’ll... I’ll be up here, I guess.” I pull away, handing her some Rad-X as I do so, and let her finish readying herself to jump.  
“...Worst part of this wil be the water...” I hear her grumbling. “...Bubbles there...” Her body shifts as she scans the water below through the scope. “...an’ there... an’, lastly... there... Ok, I can do this... Havetah make sure I don’ hit the side when I dive...” Eventually she hands the scope off to me so I can reattach it to her rifle and she stands away from the edge, taking the anti-radiation medicine I gave her. “‘ere goes!”  
She runs and leaps off the edge, putting distance between her and the side of the hole. I can’t help, but run to the edge to continue watching her descent. She hits the water like some of those old prewar professional divers I saw in a magazine some time ago, resurfacing within the minute.  
“You good, Blue!!?” I call down to her and she turns back to face a worried me and a rather shocked Sully, giving us a thumbs up as she treads water which I happily give back.  
Her silver hair is plastered to her forehead as she shakes it out a little and dives down to check under the closest bubbles.

(Timeskip)  
“Blue!” I yell and rush to the elevator as it rises from the depths, carrying my slightly shaking girlfriend. “Oh my god! Here!” I drape the piece of fabric she carries to use as a towel over shoulders and pretty much drag her over to sit on my towel I laid out near a fire pit. “Are you okay?”  
“P-Py-per, I-I’m fine. J-jus’ ah little cold.”  
“Then let’s get you dried off!” I let her take off the goggles she was wearing before I rub the towel on her hair, making it go every which way, even more so than usual.  
“Py-per.” Her hands grab mine as I begin unzipping the vault suit, making me stop. “I-I can go from ‘ere...” I look at her very blushed face and smile shyly, pulling away. “...C-couldyeh maybe, uhh... k-keep Sully over there... S-so I can get changed ahgain...?”  
“Sure thing, Blue.” I tell her and hug her quickly, not really caring if my coat got a bit wet. “B-besides... Um... N-nevermind!” I refuse to look at her again as I go to distract Sully from trying to peek at a now most likely naked Shadow, grumbling as I do so. “How can she always seem so smooth when it comes to this sorta stuff? Ugh! I always end up a blushing mess or make a fool of myself!”  
“What’s our diver up to?” The man asks when I get close enough, attempting to subtly look over my shoulder, but I purposely move in his way. “I think she deserves the honors of reactivating the pump.”  
“Blue’ll be done in a minute or two.” I tell him and continue blocking his view of my girlfriend, which is a little hard because of height differences.  
After a couple seconds, I decide to just drag him around to the other side of the pump he has been working on.  
“Don’t even think of staring at my girlfriend as she gets dressed.” I growl and he huffs, eyeing me carefully before seeming to choose against whatever he was debating.  
“All good now!... Um, whut now Sully?” Shadow asks as she walks up, shaking her hair out almost like a dog.  
“All is needed is to flip the switch. I’ll leave the honor to you and, well... you and your girl if you want it.”  
I feel my cheeks heating up as Blue gives me a look, however she spare me more embarrassment.  
“...Sure... Et’s at the other side of this pump-thing, right?” Sully nods and Shadow grabs my hand to bring me with her. “Together?” She asks hesitantly, resting one hand on the lever, despite it being a smallish switch, she manages to leave enough room for me to fit my own hand (the one she isn’t holding) and we turn the pump on.  
“Wouldyeh look at that...” Blue mumbles and watches the water recede farther into the hole. “Shit! Mirelurks!”  
There is only a couple, and they go down without much problem. I say ‘much’ problem because one managed to cut my arm, ripping my trenchcoat. I hiss as Shadow cleans it out and wraps it in some gauze that I honestly don’t know where or how she got. We both agreed it wasn’t bad enough to warrant using one of our stimpacks, although Sully did offer one of his.  
“I’ll patch yer coat when we get home...” Blue tells me with a smile, but stops when she sees my shock. “Whut?”  
“Er, nothing!”  
“N-no! Et was sumthin’ I said, wasn’ et?”  
“I-I...” I know lying to her will only make her think worse. “You said ‘when we get home’...”  
“Yeah, when we get home...” She is lost before it hits her. “O-oh! I-I, uh... I’m sorree!”  
“Don’t be.” I get her attention and I have to fight to not let my voice waver in my embarrassment. “My home is your home now, too, Shadow... Y-you’ll always be welcome there.”  
She tackles me in an embrace, careful of my arm.  
“I-I know yeh end up stayin’ there an’way when yer in Sanctuary, but... m’ home is yer home, teh...”


	26. To Adopt a Vault-Tec Representative

To Adopt a Vault-Tec Representative

(Shadow)

Someone taps me on the shoulder as I am locking the room Piper and I are using in the Hotel Rexford. There is a raspy gasp as I turn, suddenly finding myself face to face with a ghoul in a yellow trenchcoat and hat.  
“What? No, it can’t... It’s... It’s YOU! From Sanctuary Hills, right?”  
It takes me a moment to realize who I am seeing.  
“Y-yer that rep from Vault-Tec!”  
His beady eyes widen at my voice.  
“IT _IS_ YOU!” He yells. “And I  AM Vault-Tec! Twenty years of loyal service and now look at me! I wasn’t on the list!!” He huffs angrily before looking at me closely, sparing a glance at Piper behind me. “B-but you, look at you! Two hundred years and you’re still perfect!!” I feel my girlfriend’s hand slip into my own before squeezing lightly, trying to make sure I am fine; I look at her with a small smile as the man continues. “HOW?! How is that possible?!”  
“They... they reall’ didn’ tell yeh?...” I ask, but it only seems to frustrate him so I quickly tell him. “The vault... it was ah test of... cryogenics an’ the effects on the unknowin’ human body... I only thawed out ah little bit ah-go...”  
“Well... I had to get to the future the hard way. Living through the... the filth! The... decay! And the bloodshed!” He gestures to himself. “LOOK AT ME! I’m a ghoul! A...a _freak_!”  
“I-I met ah couple other ghouls... some from befer...” I say, hesitantly and trying to get Piper (the better of us two when it comes to talking to people) to say something, anything. “R-right, b-babe... Py-per?”  
“So this is who you replaced that guy with, huh?” The ghoul asks.  
“Who?” I ask even though I have a feeling I already know what he is going to say.  
“That guy you lived with! The father of the baby you had!”  
I freeze up.  
“Uhhh... Th-that was m’ brother... Nate. His wife N-Nora died givin’ birth teh their son... M’ nephew, Shaun... Didn’ yeh see on the papers yeh had meh fill out?”  
He is shocked for a second before his yellow clothed shoulders shrug slightly.  
“I wasn’t supposed to actually _look_ at the papers. Just make sure they were signed and completely filled out. Then I had to take them directly to Vault-Tec...”  
“Oh.” Is all I can say to that. “Sooo, yeah... Not sure if yeh remember m’ name, but I’m Shadow.” I see where his eyebrow used to be raise up in question. “Yes, et is m’ name! Is et reall’ that odd?!”  
“It is when most prewar names were things like Mary, Jane, or Sue, doll...” Piper deadpans and I stick my tongue out at her childishly, to which she sticks hers out.  
The rep is laughing at us.  
“It’s... It’s been too long since... I’ve had someone to talk to.” He sighs. “No one else  from Vault-Tec became ghouls... No one else from the neighborhood... It’s been so lonely. No Commonwealth settlement wants a ghoul with  200 years of Vault-Tec sales experience! They don’t want a ghoul either!”  
“There’s reall’ no where else fer yeh teh go?”  
“Diamond City bigots don’t allow ghouls inside...” The ghoulish man says and Piper winces a little. “It is either here... or back at Sanctuary, talking to that crazy robot of yours.”  
“Codsworth?”  
“That’s the one.”  
We stand in silence for a couple minutes before I speak up again.  
“‘ey, yeh know yeh could go back teh Sanctuary? I promise I’ll come visit.”  
I can see Piper somewhat questioning that, but she says nothing.  
“I don’t wanna be stuck with that robot again!”  
“Th-there’s people ah-gain... We’re buildin’ ah settlement. They’re nice people teh! Maybe n-not Marcy, but she’s rude teh ever’one... I r-reall’ jus’ ignore ‘er at this point.”  
“You promise you’d come visit?” His eyes light up with hope at the prospect of not being so alone anymore. “You’re sure?”  
“If she forgets, - which will happen, knowing her - I’ll be right there to remind her!” Piper tells him and I pout slightly.  
“N-not that bad...” I grumble and turn back to the ghoul as I think of something. “Yeh know... We never got yer name...”  
“Oh, I was just so worked up!... My name is Jordan.”  
“Well, Jordan, uh... we’re headin’ out fer Sanctuary tomorrow mornin’. Tehnight we are gettin’ supplies. Yer free teh join us fer the trip if yeh want teh...”  
“That’s sounds awesome!” He yells and we hear someone shush us, but he doesn’t seem to care. “I’m going to pack my belongings right now!”  
With that Jordan the Vault-Tec ghoul rushes back to his room, leaving me and Piper alone.  
“I thought we were heading to Diamond City to see Nat and Nick...” Piper says, confused.  
“I-I, uhhh... W-we could always make ah stop, Py-per... I-I could stand outside the gate wit’ ‘im while yeh check on yer sis... I r-reall’ wannah make sure he makes et teh Sanctuary ahlright...”  
She smiles at me.  
“You care so much about everyone, Blue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It always bugged me that he does not actually have a name... So I gave him one!
> 
> See you guys around!


	27. Nuts and Bolts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m tired, but I wanted to get this down. Its kinda short, so I might add more to it eventually.
> 
> Follows Chapter 9: Georgie

Nuts and Bolts

(Piper)

  
The tragedy with our friend Sierra has weighed heavily on Shadow and I can tell it is the main motivator for this damn near insane idea of hers. Lately she has holed herself up in the big warehouse she built strictly for her robotics workbench and parts storage and has worked so much I have to make her eat and come to bed. Her and Isabel Cruz’s goal is a lofty one. It’ll be only slightly difficult to achieve as Isabel lives in a factory that can create any part they may need, getting the parts to Sanctuary is the real challenge. My lovable silver haired genius plans to build an army of sentrybots and then assign one to each settlement allied with her Minutemen. The first one that she calls “Minutemen Sentrybot Alpha”, or simply “MS-A”, is set to stay here in Sanctuary. It rolled out of the warehouse a week ago to take up its position among the Sanctuary guards, almost scaring several settlers half to death when it suddenly burst through the warehouse’s large double doors.

“Blue, it’s late.” I say as I enter the warehouse. “Are you gonna be done soon?”  
Of course she doesn’t hear me as her music is loud and she is attempting to beat some metal into shape to make armor on the sentrybot she’s working on’s right arm. I step on a screw and get an idea.

  
“Deh fuck?!” My love yells as it nails her squarely on the head. “Whut...?” She sees the screw rolling away. “How...?” Then she sees me. “Oh. ‘Ey. I was jus’ tryin’ teh get this done befer the shipment of parts from Iz-ah comes in!” She proudly shifts the large piece of metal so I can see it in the light better.

  
‘Iz-ah’ is what Shadow nicknamed Isabel, the former Mechanist. The unknowing villain is now putting her skills to good use as she atones for her robots’ really flawed following of her orders by building new robots with Shadow for the Minutemen. They decided to give a couple of the settlers in each location that receives their bot a killcode for the robot they get, just in case something happens and it needs to be shut down quickly. They are all stupid words that no one would ever say in a normal conversation, some are even made up altogether. Each settlement will also get a terminal that only the commander of the guard, Preston, and Shadow will have access to that will be used to make changes to the robots routine to better fit where they are.

  
“Nice, but uh... are you almost done? Shaun wants you to read to him. I put Georgie down before I came to get you.” I say and watch as she glances out the window in on the far side of the building to see the sunset about over with.

  
“Was wonderin’ why et was gettin’ dark in ‘ere...” Blue mumbles and smiles sheepishly at me. “I’ll get cleaned up...”

  
“Don’t take too long or I’ll be back and I _will_ _not_ hesitate to drag you out of here!”

  
Her chuckles follow me out the door before she calls after me.

  
“I would not doubt yeh would, babe!”


	28. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit sleepy, but I remembered that today is the date I gave for Shadow’s and Nate’s birthday. I thought to add a little chapter of Shadow’s first birthday after losing her brother. Like mentioned earlier in the notes, I’m sleepy! So this is gonna be shortish and may be pretty awkward to read! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

Birthday

 

(Shadow)

 

Morning has passed and no one seems to remember today is my birthday... I honestly don’t care all too much to remind them. May 28th is just a date to me now. No more Nate and I celebrating together as my dear brother shovels cake into his mouth, flinging some bits at me while laughing. Mocking my poor aim as cake is splattered on my glasses lenses. Trying to get an infant Shaun to choose which of us he likes better... That was last year... N-not last year, idiot... All that happened on our birthday that year almost 2 centuries and a decade ago... The year humanity nearly destroyed itself... The real last year, I was still frozen in that damned vault. Not celebrating anything or even concious to think at all. Not even aware that my brother, along with the other ‘residents’ of Vault 111, would be unable to celebrate any more.

 

I slipped out of my comfy bed and snuggling Piper at about dawn, I didn’t bother looking at the time. After grabbing some of Codsworth’s flowers from the Mr. Handy’s garden (I hope he is not mad at me for that, I’m not the best at gardening so I may have accidentally ruined a couple plants), I came here to visit my brother’s grave. I hate to be so alone like this on our shared birthday and not have him right here.

 

“Blue?” I hear behind me, however I don’t look up from sitting in front of where Nate is buried in Sanctuary’s little graveyard, just staring at the flowers I placed on the mound of dirt and against the marker’s base. “Hey, Blue?”

 

“Y-yeah...?” I turn only when a certain red trench coat becomes visible in my peripheral vision despite already knowing who it is by the nickname.

 

“How long have you been out here? Please tell me it hasn’t been all morning.” My fiancé asks as she sits down with me. “I was worried when I saw you weren’t in bed when I woke up.”

 

I look at her and the concern is obvious on her face and I begin to feel a tad guilty for not telling her where I was going. Even though she seems to have figured it out anyway.

 

“I-I... I had teh c-come see ‘im...” I struggle to hold back tears.

 

She pulls me to her so I rest my head on her shoulder. With how we are sitting next to each other, I end up more in her lap and sobbing on her chest instead.

 

“There, there...” She soothes and I try to focus on her to calm down.

 

The hair falling on my face and in my eyes is swept away as a gentle kiss is pressed to my forehead.

 

“P...P-Py-per...” I shakily call and push away to look up at her, looking directly in her hazely-green eyes. “I love yeh...”

 

Her smile lifts much of the emotional burden on my soul as I look at her.

 

“I love you, too.” She says back before adding. “Birthday girl.”


	29. Incessant Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So explanation of Shadow’s even deeper accent here:
> 
> • deh = the  
> • dat = that  
> • ver’ = very  
> • dose = those  
> • usu’lly = usually  
> • skedule = schedule  
> • ‘nough = enough  
> • ‘elps = helps  
> • kin’ah = kinda
> 
> That should be all the different words I used in here that are more extreme then when I usually write Shadow’s accent. If you have not noticed, I mostly use apostrophes to indicate a missing letter or syllable.

Incessant Pain

 

(Shadow)

 

“Hey, you okay? You been in bed all day.” Nat’s words filter through the pain, but I am in no shape to respond more then a grunt at the moment as another wave of agony crashes over me.

 

As I hear her heading back downstairs, I bury myself more into the pillow, avoiding the light streaming through cracks in the ceiling and marketplace sounds coming through the thin walls. I hate this. I hate this. I fucking hate this!

 

 

(Piper)

 

Nat rushes up to me looking frantic as I am eating some Power Noodles.

 

“Shadow won’t get up.” She tells me, trying to drag me towards our home by my sleeve.

 

As the words sink in, I hurry ahead of her.

 

The door hits loudly on the wall when I open it causing an angry, almost sobbing shout from upstairs. “DEH FUCKIN’ ‘ELL DID YEH DO DAT FER!? WHY YEH GUYZ GOTTEH BE SO DAMN LOUD!?” Followed by a loud groan and what sounds to be someone violently rolling over in my bed.

 

“Her accent is different.” Nat observes. “Even more there than normal?”

 

“Yes.” I mumble and head to the stairs, trying to climb them quietly.

 

“Why... jus’ fuckin’ why do I-I get these damn thin’s...?” Shadow is asking no one when I reach the top. “Oww...”

 

“Are you alright, Blue?” I ask cautiously and step closer. “Are you in pain?”

 

“Isn’ et fuckin’ obvious I’m in pain?!” She snaps before she can catch herself and grabs her head with both hands. “...Sorree, sorree... Damn migraine...”

 

“Migraine?”

 

She shifts over enough for me to sit on the bed, burrowing into my side.

 

“Ah, well... ah major headache dat occurs from time teh time...” My girlfriend struggles to say. “...Some people get ‘em ver’ often, l-like meh...Would always put meh back an’ behind skedule... I used teh have ah stash of powe... ughhh fuck... powerful pain relievers teh c-combat ‘em, but sometimes even dose weren’ ‘nough... whut little survived deh bombs... aren’ ‘nough fer dis one... Et hurts so b-bad, Py-per...”

 

I brush her hair back off her forehead as she returns to hiding her face in my side.

 

“I-is there anything I could do?” I glance to see Nat watching us from the stairs. “Nat wants to help, too.”

 

Blue sighs and lifts her head to squint at us.

 

“Usu’lly jus’ ah quiet environment an’ dark ‘elps greatly... an’ sleepin’, which I been tryin’ teh do...” Her cheeks flush a bright red and she avoids my eyes (and Nat’s). “M-maybe some, uhh... cuddles?”

 

I stop myself from letting out any more then a small snort and chuckle at her shy cuteness.

 

“Anything else?” I ask, already removing my scarf. “Would you like Nat to get you some food or anything?”

 

“I-I’m kin’ah hungry... W-would yeh, please? S-some food?” She looks almost scared to ask for things, something I note to ask about later.

 

“I’ll get some Power Noodles!” Nat yells and covers her mouth immediately after. “Fuck!” Shadow and I both look up at her in shock. “What? She’s been saying it all day. And I’ve heard you say it, Piper.”

 

“She’s... well, she’s n-not wrong.” Blue says simply and moves to lay down, so I can take my coat off. “Take some caps from m’ bag there, Nat.” She watches my sister count out the bottlecaps before scowling in pain. “I keep ah ledger of m’ money... a-an’ I know how much noodles are... Don’ be takin’ more then needed.” Her face is buried in her palms now, so only I see Nat’s wide eyed surprise at being caught trying to sneak a couple extra caps.

 

My little sis leave shortly after with just enough to buy a NukaCola and a bowl of noodles, leaving me and my prewar girlfriend alone.

 

“...C-can I jus’ rest m’ head on yer shoulder?” Shadow asks quietly as we look at each other and I can see the pain on her face. I gently pull her closer. “Yer... amazin’... I...” The silver haired woman yawns slightly. “love yeh...”

 

“I try.” I joke and kiss her forehead. “And I love you.”


	30. Shooting Down a Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s this?! DragonbornLives updating this again so soon! She’s actually trying to update more regularly?! Amazing!

Shooting Down a Question

 

(Shadow)

 

“How do you even know how to shoot?” Nat asks bluntly as I watch her reload the BB gun Shade let us borrow. “I read that prewar doctors didn’t carry guns like Dr. Sun does.”

 

Piper is letting me teach her, but only if I instruct her using this toy gun first. We are currently standing by the makeshift shooting range I set up just outside Diamond City, well within view of the guards and the wall.

 

“How ‘bout we take ah break fer some lunch, kiddo?” I suggest, but feel her eyes trying to extract the answer to her question from my mind somehow. “I’ll... I’ll tell yeh over food.”

 

She relents and helps me pack up the few things we have out here into the locked trunk hidden under a bench. The guards let us through without incident when we head back inside and the market seems kind of empty for the time of day. It does seem about to rain though, so everyone is probably indoors.

 

“‘Ey, Takahashi! Five p’ease!” I say to the robot chef and he prepares the bowls for us.

 

“Who’s the fifth for? You eat three and I eat one...” Nat asks as she carries two bowls to a table under the makeshift awning (I have the other three) and I nod to her sister who is walking up. “Oh.”

 

“Hi, Nat.” The reporter greets her sister first, then me. “Blue. Get any good shots?”

 

I hold up a thumbs up with my left hand as I shovel food into my mouth with my other. Man, I really do love these noodles. They just giggle at me, but I am honestly too hungry to really care how much of a fool I must look like.

 

“...She’s ah fast learner.” I say praisingly, looking at the younger Wright once I swallow the food. “Ah real good shot, teh... ‘most gave meh ah run fer m’ money, er.. caps...”

 

I watch as Nat gets quite smug and her sister quite surprised before the girl seems to remember her question that I have still left unanswered.

 

“You gonna tell me _now_ , Shadow?” She presses, leaving her sister confused.

 

“Tell what now?” My girlfriend glances between us.

 

“...Yeah, yeah. I was gettin’ teh et, Nat.” I roll my eyes with a grin. “Yeh guys know I-I’m not from ‘round ‘ere.” They both nod, one still slightly lost, but listening. “Well back home, et was always ‘Save the nature! Respect the wildlife! Preserve fer yer kids an’ their kids an’ so on! Pure Michigan!’... Besides all the stuff we built fer the military an’ the other manufacturin’ stuff in the cities, we mainly relied on the big lakes of fresh water an’ fresh fish an’ wood from the forests an’ other naturally found things as revenue. Our pride was our bountiful natural resources...” I trail off, remembering being in the woods with Nate just running around as kids, then when we were older we would hunt deer and other animals in those same woods.

 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Nat grumbles and I hold up my hand to stop her.

 

“Most, well maybe ‘ah lot’ would be ah better measure...” I sigh before continuing. “Huntin’ was ah big thin’. In the more rural communities, like where I grew up, et was so popular teh go deer huntin’ that some school days in the high school didn’ even count as ah school day... there were so many gone an’ called out by parents that the student count was teh low... There was ah class I was in one year where et went from the full 25 students on the Friday befer deer huntin’ season opened teh only nine showin’ up on the Monday after... Teachers would plan far in advance so they could give the students who would be out their homework that they would miss, though most teachers never reall’ did much that first week of deer season... or the teachers were out as well givin’ us ah substitute who would jus’ let us do whutever anyway...” I chuckle.

 

“Deer? Those are now Radstags, right?” Piper questions recalling what I have mentioned before.

 

“So you were a hunter?” Nat asks before I can answer my girlfriend. “Thats how you know how to shoot so well.”

 

“Yup an’ yup... Nate an’ I would hunt deer an’ rabbit when they were in season. He would never admit et, but I was always better.”

 

I feel overwhelmingly sad at the memories now drawn to the forefront of my mind, but the hand on mine from my girlfriend keeps me from going to that dark place again. A weak smile breaks on my face and I turn my hand to hold hers, remembering for all that I have lost, I have also gained. My old family and friends may be dead, but they are not lost. I may have a new circle of friends and a new family, but that doesn’t mean I will ever forget my old ones. I keep that in mind as I kiss Piper, ignoring Nat’s disgusted ‘ewww!’ that still makes us break apart laughing.


	31. Couple Tiny Oneshots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t think these would end up good or even decent really if I tried to lengthen them to make a full oneshot for each, so I put them together. The last two could be seen as one oneshot, or they could not. Your choice, dear reader!

Couple Tiny Oneshots:

 

 Hair

(Piper)

 

“You gotta be bullshitting me.” Glory says as I walk up. “C’mon, Professor.”

 

The synth woman ruffles my wife’s hair, much to her dislike.

 

“One, still confused why I can’ jus’ use m’ actual name... Two, please don’ fuckin’ touch m’ hair again, Glory.” I cut Blue off.

 

“Yeah, only I can touch it.” I run my fingers through her hair jokingly and Shadow pouts, but doesn’t move away.

 

“C-can I finish now?” She asks, slightly embarrassed and I give her a nod with a grin. “Three, why don’ yeh believe m’ hair is naturally silver? Yers is damn white!”

 

“My hair is the result of an accident after I got out of the Institute. I’d... rather not talk about it.” Our friend discloses and we look at her in shock. “You’re too young to have silver hair.” I give her a look and she remembers. “Well, without the cryo, you are too young.”

 

“Both m’ brother an’ I had silver hair. ‘is was always darker, like steel. Mine’s been light all m’ life.”

 

“Everything about you is lighter, doll.” I say. “Your skin, your hair, your eyes.”

 

“True...”

 

We laugh at her reluctant answer before we have to go back to our duties.

* * *

 

Different Words

(Piper again)

 

“Et’s pop!” I hear Shadow arguing with Deacon about what to call Nuka-Colas. “Soda would be used fer ah specific pop, like cream _soda_.”

 

“It’s always been soda for me, doll.” I tell her and nab her Nuka-Cherry from her hand. “I remember the first time you said pop though. I was pretty confused on what you meant.”

 

“Ugh.” Shadow grumbles. “I’m still gunnah stick with pop while yeh guys use _soda_... sounds weird...”

 

“Pop sounds weird!” Deacon defends.

 

“Et’s the sounds the little bubbles of carbonation make when they, well, pop.” We look at her confused and she explains. “These pops would be considered ‘flat’. All the carbonation is gone.”

 

“Flat? Why ‘flat’?” I mumble.

 

“I jus’ said why!” She huffs trying in vain to take her drink back from my hand, but I just laugh and drink from it.

 

“No, no! I mean why use the word flat?”

 

“Oh.” She ponders for a couple minutes and Deacon and I are stuck unsure if maybe we should try to change the topic. “Hmmm... I really wouldn’ know why they chose flat...”

 

“Professor!” Drummer Boy shouts as he rushes over, breaking our little trio up.

 

* * *

 

Curiosity

(Piper once more)

 

“Do yeh say pop, Shade?” Shadow asks her relative and I facepalm. “Whut?! I wannah know!”

 

“Curiosity killed the cat!” We hear one of Shade’s lovers, Amata, yell from the next room where she is coloring with Shaun, Nat, Georgie, and Curie.

 

“An’ satisfaction brought et back!” Both Shadow and her near-duplicate yell back.

 

They stare at each other with matching expressions of surprise. Everyone is pretty much frozen in shock, too. The people here all know Shadow has some weirdass connection to Shade, but what the actual fuck?!

 

Cait is the one to break the silence we all found ourselves in. “I wish we had that camera thing Shadow fixed fer ya right ‘bout now, Piper.”


End file.
